NEW DELHI: “A roadmap for the future. Students and teachers will have more autonomy. Will allow intellectual, emotional and social skill development of the students.”

This is how schools across the city have described the decision of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to make the Class X board exams optional, adding that it should have been implemented much earlier.

This was an important part of HRD minister Kapil Sibal's 100-day agenda. And according to CBSE sources, with the completion of groundwork, the plan is in place for implementation from the 2010-2011 academic session. This is what the minister himself indicated on Thursday.

The chairman of National Progressive Schools Conference, an association of 110 recognised private schools in the city, S L Jain, said: "It's a progressive step by the CBSE which we too were demanding for the past three years. This new system is going to improve the status of teachers and students in terms of autonomy as they will get more space to express their creativity rather then just concentrate on the boards.''

And Central Government-funded Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) are all set to take the lead in this regard. According to joint commissioner (academics) U N Singh, "We have already implemented the National Curriculum Framework 2005, and the new system is in conformity with the NCF.''

The state boards have voiced many concerns, including one of certification and creation of two categories of students. The principal of Springdales, Pusa Road, Ameeta Mulla Wattal, feels the system has been grossly misunderstood so far. Wattal, who made a presentation at the recently held Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE), said: "This is primarily for those schools which function till Class XII. For schools which are up to Class X, the board exams can't be optional. The students of a school which goes up to Class XII may not take the exams unless they wish to go to an earn-and-learn option or migrate to another board or school.''

Schools are seeing this as a way forward for all stakeholders, including teachers, students and parents. They are of the opinion that making boards optional would give more space to the children for conceptual learning and increase participation in co-scholastic activities.

The principal of Amity International, Saket, Bharti Sharma, said: "Boards mean marks which will be taken care of by the new system. It will also lessen the commercial burden and parents will be able to opt for schools where their ideas match and where a particular talent of their ward can be harnessed. As the system of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) is very exhaustive, the teachers will get to know the students better and CCE will provide a better insight.''

source: TOI