The CBSE has said that internal assessment is “a compulsory part” of the overall evaluation, and internal assessment is impossible if students are not regular in school.
The Central Board of Secondary Education in notice on Monday said, the result cannot be declared if a record of the student’s performance in the internal assessment was not present.
The board also mentioned that it was mandatory for students to have 75% attendance — something that it had specified in a separate circular sent to schools in August.
Principals of several CBSE schools said that by emphasising the role of internal assessments and 75% attendance, the board was trying to ensure that students attend school regularly.
“In all the subjects offered by the CBSE, internal assessment is a compulsory integral part of the assessment as per NEP-2020. It is a two-year-long process. If a student does not attend school, his/her internal assessment cannot be done,” the CBSE said.
“In the absence of performance in internal assessment, a student’s result cannot be declared. Such students,even if they are regular students, will be placed in ‘Essential Repeat Category,’” the board said.
The essential repeat category is a bracket of students who have failed to clear the board exams and are not eligible for the compartment exam.
They are not eligible for the compartment exam if they have failed in more than two subjects out of five in Class X and more than one subject out of five in Class XII. They will have to appear for the board exams after a year to clear their Class X or XII.
The CBSE has said that Classes X and XII are two-year programmes comprising Classes IX and X, and Classes XI and XII.
Accordingly, all subjects should be studied for two years by a student to be eligible f
or appearing in the examination.
“This would ensure students in any school cannot skip classes or internal school examinations and suddenly appear to write the board examinations,” said Jaidev Ghosh, principal, South Point High School.
The internal examinations conducted by schools are factored into the calculation of a student’s final term marks in several schools.
“The final term does not reflect the marks scored in that particular exam, but what they have scored in tests conducted throughout the year. This means the child has to consistently perform,” said The Newtown School principal Satabdi Bhattacharjee.
Ghosh said that South Point, for example, conducts three examinations in Class X, and weightage is given to all the exams to calculate the final marks.
“Every school has its own weightage. But continuous evaluation is part of the CBSE curriculum, and multiple exams help us to prepare them for the board exams,” said Ghosh.
In the CBSE, students have to pass theory and practical exams separately to clear the board exams.
“For some schools, internal assessment comprises written exams conducted by the school, projects done throughout the year and
daily activities that include homework. Unless a child is regular in school, they cannot perform in the internal assessment,” said Madhumita Sengupta, principal of BDM International.
The board is providing guidelines but it is for the schools to implement the regulations.
“This is the CBSE’s way of ensuring students are regular in school, and are participating in the daily teaching-learning process. The board is laying a lot of emphasis on schooling, attendance and experiential learning,” said Bhattacharjee.