Students appearing for the Indian Certificate Secondary Education (ICSE) examinations now have until Wednesday (June 24) to decide whether or not they will attend, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) said on Thursday.
The development comes in the wake of stiff opposition from several parents. Citing AIIMS data, they argued that coronavirus is likely to hit its peak in July and conducting the examinations then would imperil the students.
The Council's earlier decision to use pre-Board examination results, internal assessment and performance in the papers already completely was also mooted after parents raised a barrage of objections during a Bombay High Court hearing on Wednesday.
“Parents told the court that pre-Boards are often more difficult and graded more harshly than the Boards, vary from school to school, and are given a miss by some students. It is an unfair choice,” said advocate Arvind Tiwari, who filed the petition to cancel the exam.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday then asked the ICSE board to present its plan for alternative grading for students of Classes 10 and 12 who choose not to physically appear for pending exam papers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice S S Shinde directed the ICSE board to present its plan for alternative grading latest by June 22. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Arvind Tiwari, a parent of a Class 10 student.
Parents also complained that some schools were coercing students to select the examination option against their will.
In response, CISCE CEO Gerry Arathoon issued a circular noting that such complaints had been received and warning that action would be taken against schools found coercing students.
“This conduct by the schools is against the spirit and the intention of the CISCE decision,” Arathoon said. “Schools are requested not to impose and/or influence the choice of the candidates.”
The ICSE board examinations were scheduled between February 27 and March 30 this year, but the schedule was interrupted when the nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown came into force.
After the Supreme Court's intervention, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) too is set to decide on the remaining 23 board examinations on Tuesday.