Kapil Sibal's path breaking initiative in secondary education

Union Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal has taken a revolutionary step to ease the pressure of examination on the students and made the system not examination centric but knowledge centric. To get academic education is to acquire knowledge and knowledge is not gained by only scoring high percentage of marks by getting the syllabus by heart. Knowledge is nothing to do with high percentage of marks. By introducing grading system from class X this year itself, the responsibility of teachers has increased because now they are to teach the students so comprehensively that could fill their minds with knowledge. And students must be trained to get knowledge ,and not for scoring high percentage of marks. During examination period, the students have been seen to be under tremendous stress and grading system will destress them. Examiation system has mechanised the minds of the students and they study with only one aim of scoring high percentage of marks where as in gradig system their all round performance is taken into account while granting marks.By making class 10th exams optional from 2011 and introducing the grading system from this year itself, HRD ministry has taken a remarkable step to ease mounting pressure on lakhs of students sitting in board examination for class X conducted by the CBSE.It is a path-breaking move that will cheer lakhs of students across the country. The Class X examinations of the CBSE will be optional from the next academic year (2010-11) while the grading system will be introduced this year itself. Over eight lakh students appearing for their class X exams in March 2010 have to take Board exams for which the results will be declared through grading system.From 2011, the grading system will continue but the Board exams will become optional.The Class X examinations of CBSE will be abolished from 2010-11 while the grading system will be introduced from 2009-10 (current academic year).After the Board examination is abolished in 2011 (for class X), students will have choice to take the Board exam on demand for transfer (to another school) or entry into pre-university institutes.The exam on demand is also available to students who want to continue in the same school. Under the new system, students who wish to continue in the same school after class X, need not take Board exam from 2011.The grading system will be a continuous, comprehensive evaluation, which will be good for the students. However, along with grades, students can also ask for their percentage. The education must not be solely dependent on scoring only marks. Its main objective is to gain knowledge.