Nagpur News.
The Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, in a decision, has reduced the practical marks of two Class X Science papers from 40 to 20 marks. The multi-optional questions of 20 marks would now be put up at the Board-level forcing students to focus minutely more on the subject’s finer points which would be a difficult aspect.
PREVIOUS EXAM:
Previously, the Class X multi-optional Science exam was conducted at school-level which will now be conducted at Board-level. The schools were having Science-1 and Science-2 with 40 marks. Each paper consisted of practicals with 20-20 marks and multi-optional questions were being asked in the two papers with 10-10 marks. However, now schools will have 20 marks only and the multi-optional exam having 20 marks will be conducted at the Board-level.
DIFFICULTY IN SCORING GOOD MARKS:
In the two Science papers, questions with 8-8 marks are being asked over High Order Thinking out of which one question carried 5 marks and another 3 marks. According to some teachers, the questions are of so high-level even teachers found themselves blank over the answers. In this situation, the difficulties of students could be understood. However, the new format may help students understand the subject minutely but scoring good marks in Science has become difficult for them.
HIGH-STANDARD AND COMPREHENSIVE SUBJECT:
According to experts, the Science subject has become comprehensive with the inclusion of Environment subject in it. The students would face a sort of problem to study every topic in the subject and the high-standard and comprehensive proportion of the subject will increase difficulties for students. Moreover, teachers themselves have not specifically been trained to deal with the subject. The problem is more acute in villages and the students there would take the maximum brunt over the subject.
SUDDEN PRESSURE ON STUDENTS IN CLASS IX:
The experts further said, with the implementation of Right to Education (RTE), it has been made mandatory to pass the students from Standard I to Standard VIII. In this situation, the students feel no pressure in passing till Standard VIII. However, when they enter Standard IX, suddenly pressure of study takes a heavy toll of marginal students. The pressure of study forces the students bunk classes, and even give up education at all. Some resort to extreme steps. Any change in the course should be implemented from primary level itself so that the students don’t feel the pressure when they attend higher level of education, the experts stated.
STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD:
Dr. Jaspal Singh Saluja, Principal of Gurunanak School, said, “Change is need of the hour. But the problems of students’ thinking and understanding must be taken care of. The situation for them has become more difficult due to lack of properly trained teachers and standard. The teachers must be provided proper training in order to lessen difficulties of the students,” Saluja asserted.
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