The very purpose of introducing Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) system was to reduce stress among the students but the grading system has failed to bring down pressure from the students as they are now prompted by the parents and schools to bring better grades.
The CBSE started the grading system in the academic year 2009-2010 for the students of class IX. The first batch of class X with with the grading system passed out in the year 2011. Ever since its introduction the focus of parents and teachers shifted to pressurizing
students to obtain grades in excess of 9.
It is learnt that many school deny admissions to the students who get grades less than 8 so that their class XII result is not affected. The CGPA is the overall indicative percentage of the marks. For converting the grade to percentage it is
suggested to multiply them with 9.5.
The students who score lower grades feel dejected and are likely to be affected by diseases like hypertension and depression. Senior psychiatrist Dr Major Nand Kishore (Rtd) informed The Pioneer that the parents and teachers should be very careful while dealing with such students. He said that the government should ensure that the school admits all the students in higher classes irrespective of whatever grade he/ she obtains. Dr Nand Kishore listed symptoms like anxiety, sleeplessness, persistent headache, loss of appetite and changed behavior of child as warning signals which parents should not overlook.
In the result of class X which was declared by CBSE on Thursday, out of total 135688 students who cleared the examination in Dehradun region, 31014 got CGPA from 7-8 while 53599 had to be contended with CGPA of below 7.
The Principal of Kendriya Vidhyalaya (KV), ONGC, D S Negi told The Pioneer that the school has limited seats in class XI so they adopt a system of merit to give admissions. Interestingly many students from ICSE board also seek admission in CBSE schools in class XI. “KVS makes grades as basis of merit and in case of ICSE students, who are awarded marks, we divide their marks with a factor of 9.5 and covert them into grades for purpose of making merit”, he said. Negi claimed that CGPA has reduced pressure on the students; giving an example he said that 10 CGPA means scoring marks in excess of 95 per cent and there is no difference between getting 95.1 per cent to 99.9 per cent.