Postpone board exams to May 2021; reduce syllabus further: Delhi govt to CBSE

The government also asked the Centre to further reduce the syllabus as schools still continue to remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Delhi government urged the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to not conduct the board exams next year before May. The government also asked the Centre to further reduce the syllabus as schools still continue to remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the media reports, the Directorate of Education (DoE) wrote a letter to CBSE stating, "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic a major chunk of time of 2020-21 academic session (approximately seven months) could not be utilised for classroom teaching-learning process as schools in Delhi are closed till October 31."

“Though online, semi-online teaching-learning activities are being conducted through live classes as well as worksheets or activity sheets but it cannot replace the physical classroom teaching-learning process,” the DoE said in the letter.

“In order to provide students with a reasonable time to study in person in schools, it is requested that the ongoing academic session be extended beyond March and CBSE board exams be conducted not before May, 2021. Consequently, the next academic session may commence from July 2021,” it added.

Talking about the reduction in syllabus, DoE stated, “The CBSE had reduced 30 per cent of the syllabus in all subjects in anticipation of the opening of schools in July but schools in Delhi are closed till October 31. It is also requested that sample question papers aligned with the further-reduced syllabus for the session 2020-21 may be prepared as per the latest question paper design and made available for the students at the earliest."

“Practical and project work are an integral part of any subject that includes assessment of desired skills and competencies. It is pertinent to give students hands-on practice for the same for a sufficient period of time. It is requested that the board may provide detailed guidelines regarding the conduct of these practical exams under such conditions or any other alternate mode to replace the practical part of the subject,” it added.

Universities and schools across the country were ordered shut on March 16 to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. On March 25, the Centre announced a nationwide lockdown. While several restrictions have been eased gradually in different phases of the ‘unlock’ since June 8, educational institutions continue to remain closed.

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