Bengal may too walk in the footsteps of the Centre and some other States that have cancelled the Classes X and XII Board exams. According to sources a six-member expert committee which was appointed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to decide on the fate of the Board exams have opined that it is not advisable to hold the exams and putting at risk the well-being of 21 lakh students and their guardians.
Incidentally the experts committee had been set up soon after the Chief Minister announced that exams would indeed be held in the months of July and August.
According to sources the Committee is in favour of either giving some home assignments to the Class XII students or asking them to appear for home online test. They have also advised the Government to assess the students by their performance in the practical exams for the Science stream and Project assignments for the Humanities and Commerce streams.
However some other people have wondered whether online test would be a feasible idea as not all the students have smart phones or laptops particularly in the wake of the disaster that cyclone Yaas left in North and South 24 Parganaas and East Midnapore districts.
As for the Class X Board exams the Committee has said that as they had not appeared for any pre-board exams marks could be allotted to them on the basis of their Class IX exams as also the internal assessment marks.