Central Board for Secondary Education

Madhyamik: rise and fall

Calcutta : After proudly announcing a record rise in the number of Madhyamik examinees — 140,000 — last year, the board declared a record dip in 2007.

A total of 6,74,657 students will take this year’s exam. Last year, 90,000 more had appeared for Madhyamik.

Board officials admitted that the dip in the number of examinees had never been so sharp in the 39 years of its existence. “We are doing the needful to find out the factors responsible for the sharp fall in the number of examinees,” said Ujwal Basu, president, West Bengal Board of Secondary Examinations.

A preliminary probe by the board has revealed that over 13,000 Madhyamik schools across the state tightened their screening after the pass percentage dropped by 5.56 per cent last year.

The schools allowed only those students to appear in the board exam who were most capable of clearing it.

“We’ll call a meeting with the heads of schools after the examination to look into this year’s drop,” Basu said.

However, sources in the education department attributed last year’s rise in the number of examinees to a government policy to allow as many students as possible to take the exam. “It was held only a few months before the Assembly elections and the government had to show its success in promoting school education.”

The drop in the success rate, however, jolted the government. After the results were declared in May, the board directed schools to take steps to ensure academic standards and warned them of cancellation of affiliation if there were too many failures. “This prompted them to adopt a stricter procedure in the selection of students,” an official said.

Basu cited another factor behind the drop in the number of examinees — rural parents’ reluctance to let their children study beyond Class VIII.

He admitted, though, that the trend was not unique for this year.

UP Board exams from March 12

ALLAHABAD : The UP Board examinations have been preponed by five days and would now start from March 12.

UP board secretary Vasudev Yadav said that this has been done due to internal situation in the department.

However, sources said that the dates were preponed due to the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in May.

According to the revised programme, the High School and Intermediate examinations would now start from March 12, instead of March 17. The last paper would be held on April 12, the secretary said.

However, several students criticised the decision. Ankit, a student of Class X, said, “Every day is valuable for us. Five days is a big loss.” The parents also resented the move of the board.

The gap of days between the two papers has been minimised. This would cause stress to nearly 50 lakh students appearing for the examinations.

SSC exams from Mar. 21

HYDERABAD : The State Board of Secondary Education announced the time table for annual examinations for SSC, OSSC and vocational students. The exams will be held between 9.30 am and 12 noon except for three papers. The exam for first language paper-I will be held between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm; first language paper-II from 9.30 am to 10.30 am; SSC vocational course (theory) from 9.30 am to 11.30 am.

The following is the timetable:
March 21, 2007: First language paper-I (Group A); First language paper-I (composite course); March 22: First language paper-II (Group A); First language paper-II (composite course) and OSSC main language paper-I (Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian); March 23: Second language; March 24: English paper-1; March 26: English paper-II; March 28: Math paper-I; March 29: Maths paper-II; March 30: Science paper-I; March 31: Science paper-2; April 2: Social studies paper-I; April 3: Social studies paper-II; April 4: OSSC main language paper-II (Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian); April 7: SSC vocational course (theory).

Revised Plus Two syllabus: more deletions in science texts

CHENNAI: The Textbook Development Committee, constituted to go into the revision of textbooks for Plus One and Plus Two, has recommended more deletions in science texts and very few deletions in Tamil and English.

While only two deletions — one each in poetry and prose — have been suggested for the first year Tamil text, only one deletion — Lesson IV-Alice Meets Humpty Dumpty — will be made in the English text for the year. New lessons in place of the deleted ones will be given in the revised edition in 2007, the report, submitted by committee chairman and State Planning Commission vice chairman M. Naganathan to the State Education Department on Thursday, has said.

On the other hand, substantial chunks in chapters II, IV, VI, VII and IX have been deleted in the mathematics text and in both volumes of the physics text. Deletions have also been recommended in the chapters on chemical calculations, metallurgy, atomic structure and periodic classification in volume I of the chemistry text and the chapters on chemical bonding, thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium etc in volume II.

The botany and bio-botany texts have undergone more deletions than the zoology and bio-zoology texts.

Similar trends are observed in deletions in the second year texts too, with only one deletion each in the poetry and prose sections in Tamil and only one lesson, The Magic of Words, deleted in English.

In the mathematics text, the committee has specified which portions are to be left out of descriptive type questions and which may be used for objective type questions. It has also earmarked certain portions as `not to be asked for examinations.'

Similarly, while substantial portions in both volumes of the physics text will be deleted, the chemistry text too has undergone major deletions. There are, however, no deletions recommended in the botany and bio-botany texts for the second year.

The committee has recommended that the new textbooks, with the appropriate alterations and deletions, be released for the year 2007-2008.

The deletions in all texts will be made posted online at www.tn.gov.in/schoolsyllabus from December 5.

Uniform syllabus move leaves matriculation schools in a fix

TIRUCHI: Matriculation schools are in a quandary: They are unable to place orders for textbooks with private publishers following the State Government's move to enforce a uniform syllabus.

With the Directorate of School Education indicating that the uniform syllabus is likely to come into force from the next academic year, the matriculation schools, it appears, will have to procure books under the new pattern from the Tamil Nadu Textbook Society, as government schools do.

Though the matriculation schools unanimously argue that the move is "ill-conceived," they are not desperate, since they believe that the crux of the matter lies in the delivery mechanism, and not in the syllabus.

They cite the instance of students thronging private schools for higher secondary education, though the syllabus is common under all patterns, barring the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE).

Even as the matriculation schools are bracing for the eventuality, the view gaining ground among academics is that against the backdrop of globalisation and a competitive post-school scenario, striking a middle line for enforcing uniformity in syllabus could turn counter-productive.

For, it not only means regression in the form of dilution of syllabus for the matriculation pattern but also will reflect in the enhancement of the existing standard under the State Board pattern. As a result, the number of dropouts, especially in rural areas, will increase manifold. Rural schools are already grappling with the problem, headmasters acknowledge.

31.03 pc pass HSC supplementary exam

Cuttack: The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) published the results of High School Certificate (HSC) supplementary examination-2006 here on November 15.

About 31.03 percent of students passed the examinations held in August.

Of the 52,351 candidates from 8,218 high schools, only 16,087 students cleared the examination.

According to BSE sources, 121 students passed in first division, 1,490 students in second division and 7,042 students passed in third division.

As many as 7,434 students passed the examination in compartmental category, official sources said.

Results of 18 students were withheld and 501 students were booked for indulging in malpractices during the examination, the sources said.

Barring Mayurbhanj and Sonepur, students of other tribal districts like Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir, Phulbani, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawarangpur, Rayagada and Kandhamal have registered poor pass percentage in supplementary examinations.

However, students from Deogarh district did remarkably well to top the list among the districts with a pass percentage of 54.23 while Bhadrak stood second with a pass percentage of 54.02. Nawarangpur was at the bottom of the list as only 13.61 percent students from this district could secure pass marks.

Interestingly, not a single student from as many as eight districts, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawarngpur, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara and Nayagarh, secured first division.

Similarly, not a single student from Deogarh or Malkangiri districts got second division.

While over 34 per cent general category students passed in the examination, the pass percentage of SC and ST students was 23.80 and 20.35 respectively.

State	Board	Established

Andhra Pradesh	(i) Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education, Hyderabad-500 001 Tel.# 91-40-345343/3457344	1953
Andhra Pradesh	(ii) Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education, Vidya Bhawan, Nampally, Hyderabad-500 001 Tel:# 91-40-503315 / 503316 Home Page : http://www.interboardap.nic.in/	1971
Assam	(i) Assam Board of Secondary Education Guwahati - 781 021 Tel.# 91-361-23884	1962
Assam	(ii) Assam Higher Secondary Education Council Bamunimaidan, Guwahati - 781 021 Tel.# 91-361-27277	1984
Bihar	(i) Bihar School Examination Board Sinha Library Road, Patna 800 017 Tel.# 91-612-226916, 222575, 222576	1952
Bihar	(ii) Bihar Intermediate Education Council Budh Marg, Patna 800 001. Tel.# 91-612-232432	1980
Goa	Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education M-20, Nehru Nagar, A-210, Betim Cross, Alto Betim, Goa- 403 521. Tel. 91-832-417584,417593	1975
Gujarat	Gujarat Secondary Education Board Sector 10-B, Gandhi Nagar - 382 043 Tel. 91-7932-20691 Fax : 91-7932-29421	1960
Haryana	Haryana Board of Education Hansi Road, Bhiwani - 125021 Tel. 91-1664-44171 Fax: 91-1664-41611	1969
Himachal Pradesh	Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education Gayana Lok Parisar, Civil Lines, Dharamsala-176216. Distt. Kangra. Tel. 91-1892-22773 Fax 91-1892-22817	1969
Jammu & Kashmir	J&K State Board of School Education Rehari Colony, Jammu- 180 005 (Nov.-- April) Lalmandi, Srinagar 190 005 (May--Oct.) Tel. 91-191-546601 (Jammu) Fax 91-191-546604 91-194-430821 (Srinagar) Fax 91-194-431984 E-mail : jkboard@nde.vsnl.net.in	1965
Karnataka	(i) Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board 6th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560 003 Tel. 91-80 - 3343391, 2214350 Fax 91-80-3347670	1966
Karnataka	(ii) Karnataka Board of the Pre-University Education Tech. Edn. Building, Palace Road, Bangalore-560 001 Tel. 91-80 2264484, 2267595	1970
Kerala	Kerala Board of Public Examinations Pareeksha Bhawan, Poojappura, Thiruvannanthapuram-695 012 Tel. 91-471-341171, 325106 Fax 91-471-325106	1949
Maharashtra	Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Shivajinagar, Pune 411 010. Tel. 91-20-5536236 / 5536379 Fax: 91-20-5536405 E-mail : msecpun@ip.eth.net Home Page : http://www.mah.nic.in/msec	1966
Madhya Pradesh	Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education, Bhopal -462 011 Tel. 91-755 -551166-71 Fax: 91-755 -551499,555182	1959
Manipur	(i) Manipur Board of Secondary Education Imphal - 795 001 Tel.: 91-385-226770, 220889, 220172 Fax 91-385-222562	1972
Manipur	(ii) Manipur Council of Higher Secondary Education D.M. College Campus, Imphal - 795 001 Tel. 91-385-224617,441429	1992
Meghalaya	Meghalaya Board of School Education West Garo Hills Tura, Meghalaya-794 102 Tel. 91-364-223948,	1973
Mizoram	Mizoram Board of School Education Chaltlang, Post Box 7, Aizawl-796 012 Tel. 91-389-340993, 340992, 340995	1976
Nagaland	Nagaland Board of School Education Post Box, 98, Kohima -767 001 Tel. 91-370-22520,22521 Fax. 91-370-240198 E-mail: nbe@naganet.com	1974
Orissa	(i) Orissa Board of Secondary Education Bajrakabati Road, Cuttack -753 001 Tel. PBX: 91-671 615484, 615460 Fax 91-671-615305	1965
Orissa	(ii) Orissa Council of Higher Secondary Education C-2 Pragnyapith, Samantapur, Bhubaneswar - 751 013 Tel. 91-674-580126 Fax 91-674-580126	1955
Punjab	Punjab School Education Board, Vidya Bhawan, SAS Nagar Phase-8, Mohali -160 059 Tel. 91-172-570524,570081 Fax 91-172-670524	1969
Rajasthan	Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education Ajmer- 305 001 Tel. 91-145- 422597 Fax: 91-145- 52394	1957
Tamil Nadu	(i) Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education, Department of Govt. Examinations, College Road, Chennai- 600 006 Tel. 91-44 -8272088 Fax: 91-44 -8278286	1908
Tamil Nadu	(ii) Tamil Nadu Board of Higher Secondary Education DPI Compound, College Road, Chennai-600 006. Tel.91-44 -8278796	1982
Tripura	Tripura Board of Secondary Education, Nehru Complex, (Gurkha Basti) (P.O) Kunjaban, Agartala, Tripura West -799 006. Tel. 91-381-224818	1973
U.P.	U.P. Board of High School & Intermediate Education, Allahabad - 211 001 Tel. 91-532 602367 (Allahabad) 91-532 239006,(Lucknow) Fax 91-532-623182	1922
West Bengal	(i) West Bengal Board of Secondary Education 77/2, Park Street, Calcutta -700 016 Tel. 91-33-298594 Fax	1951 (Reconstituted in 1964)
West Bengal	(ii) West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education Vidya Sagar Bhavan, 9/2, D.J.Block, Sector-II, Salt Lake, Calcutta- 700 091 Tel. 91-33-379661 Fax 91-33-3345541	1929 (Reconstituted in 1962
All-India Boards	(i) Central Board of Secondary Education 2, Community Centre, Shiksha Kendra, Preet Vihar, Delhi- 110 092 Tel.# 91-11-2249602, 2249628 Fax: 91-11-2215826 Home page: http://www.cbse.nic.in/ E-mail: cepavnesh@hotmail.com CBSE Schools Directory
	(ii) Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations Pragati House, 47/48, Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110 019. Tel.# 91-11-6411706, 6413820, 91-11-91556468-9(Noida) Fax: 91-11-6212051. E-mail : mail@cisce.org Home Page : http://www.cisce.org/	1958
	(iii) National Open School A-38, Kailash Colony, New Delhi-110 048 Tel.#91-11-6481455,57-59 Fax:#91-11-6211453 Home Page : http://www.nos.org/ E-mial : nossap@nda.vsnl.net.in	1989