Beginning as early as the next academic year, the Class X board examination could be done away with in the state. The Gujarat government has initiated an exercise to adopt the National Education Policy ,NEP) 2020 which recommends doing away with the Class X board examination system with the rationale of reducing the burden of board examinations that students face in X and XII standards.
Although the implications of this exercise are huge – and involve engagement with a wide range of stakeholders who will get impacted, sources in the government said that being PM Narendra Modi‘s home state, Gujarat aims to take the lead in implementing recommendations of the NE.
“The government has begun consultations with various stakeholders about implementing the NEP. It envisages doing away with the Class X board examination. Being PM Modi’s home state, Gujarat wants to be first off the blocks in implementing the new NEP,” a top government functionary told TOI. The source added that this will hugely reduce the burden on students who at present have to go through two board examinations in a span of two years.
Instead of the existing 10 + 2 system (10 years of secondary and two years of higher secondary), the new NEP envisages a 5 + 3 + 3 + 3 structure. According to NEP 2020, the first five years will be considered foundational and will include class nursery to class 2. The next three years – class 3 to 5 – will be preparatory, the next three years – class 6 to 8 – will be middle and the last four – classes 9th to 12th – will be secondary.
The NEP recommends that children who are minimum of 4 years old should be admitted to nursery class. This will mean that students who appear for class XII examination will be 18 years old.
A source close to the development said that the government intends to implement the new system from the 2022-23 academic year itself, which begins in a few months from now. “It will require an overhaul of existing systems, but the aim is to do away with class X board examination from the next academic year,” sources said.
Although the implications of this exercise are huge – and involve engagement with a wide range of stakeholders who will get impacted, sources in the government said that being PM Narendra Modi‘s home state, Gujarat aims to take the lead in implementing recommendations of the NE.
“The government has begun consultations with various stakeholders about implementing the NEP. It envisages doing away with the Class X board examination. Being PM Modi’s home state, Gujarat wants to be first off the blocks in implementing the new NEP,” a top government functionary told TOI. The source added that this will hugely reduce the burden on students who at present have to go through two board examinations in a span of two years.
Instead of the existing 10 + 2 system (10 years of secondary and two years of higher secondary), the new NEP envisages a 5 + 3 + 3 + 3 structure. According to NEP 2020, the first five years will be considered foundational and will include class nursery to class 2. The next three years – class 3 to 5 – will be preparatory, the next three years – class 6 to 8 – will be middle and the last four – classes 9th to 12th – will be secondary.
The NEP recommends that children who are minimum of 4 years old should be admitted to nursery class. This will mean that students who appear for class XII examination will be 18 years old.
A source close to the development said that the government intends to implement the new system from the 2022-23 academic year itself, which begins in a few months from now. “It will require an overhaul of existing systems, but the aim is to do away with class X board examination from the next academic year,” sources said.
,