Gujarat: Boards will be held next year, says GSHSEB

The GSHSEB has decided against discontinuing the Class X and Class XII board exams from next year, it announced in a statement on Wednesday. However, there will be changes to the existing system of board and entrance exams to comply with the National Education Policy 2020, GSHSEB added.

The clarification from the board comes in the wake of confusion regarding board exams after the announcement of NE. "While board exams will continue, the existing system will be reformed to eliminate the need for coaching classes," the GSHSEB statement said, quoting a paragraph from NE.

The statement further said that to reverse the harmful effects of the current assessment system, board exams will be redesigned to encourage holistic development. "Students will be able to choose many of the subjects in which they take board exams, depending on their individualized interests," it said.

"There was some confusion among teachers and other stakeholders after the NEP was declared. Many believed that the board exams would be discontinued from next year. This is not true. Board exams will be conducted as usual but there may be some changes in the system," said B N Rajgor, joint director of GSHSEB.

Rajgor said clarity on the changes to the system will come only after the policy with detailed instructions is issued. "We already have made provision for Class XII students to surrender their marksheets and retake exams if they are not satisfied with their results," Rajgor added.