Well, after coming to know about this petition for Lenient Marking in Physics by class 12 CBSE students, I’ve started believing that I’m really bad with news. I mean, it is really late to come up with such a hot topic which is related to CBSE board exams. But, I certainly believe that there are many others like me who didn’t get to know about the petition at the time it was signed.
CBSE class 12 students are signing an online petition requesting lenient marking in the Physics paper as this year, the paper was tricky, lengthy and difficult. The students are also complaining that they had got only a day’s time for revision which made it all the more difficult to solve the ‘tricky’ paper.
While the teachers were overall satisfied with the paper, many students have taken to the internet to file an online petition. The petition started by Mihraj Subair, is being signed through change.org and more than 7,000 students have signed it so far and the number is increasing with every passing second.
Brief Details Of The Petition
Physics paper, according to students, was disappointing as many questions were bit tricky and indirect, especially the 3 Mark questions from Section C. Students had got only one day’s time for revision as CBSE class 12 board exams began on March 5 with English as the first paper and Physics exam was held on March 7. Moreover, the paper was lengthy. Many students couldn’t complete the whole paper.
What Students Are Writing In The Petition
A student said that students going for JEE coaching may find the paper a bit easier because they have been practicing this for a while. But that’s not the case with most of the other students who depend on school notes and NCERT.
Asha Malhotra, another student said that she is disappointed with the format of paper which was not meant for an average student.
Meanwhile, for some like Vaishnavi of Patna, the questions were tough in 2017 but it was easy this year.
A Letter Sent To Chairperson Of Board By Diya Patil
A student of the RN Podar School, Santacruz, Diya Patil from Mumbai, sent a rather heartfelt letter to the chairperson of the board and she was surprised when she got a response to it.
She wrote, “This letter is regarding today’s (7th March 2018) physics examination. I’m just an ordinary student. At times below the average, at times just average and rarely above. What I learned today from this exam is the importance of understanding a concept and the difference between writing a test just for marks and writing a test based on your understanding.” As per the letter published in TOI, she writes, “I really don’t know how I or my peers performed today, but whatever we understood, we wrote everything. All I request the board is to do something about this issue and not make institutions and exams just about securing marks, and I’m sure you can because you’re powerful and wonderful.”
Reply To The Letter By CBSE Chairperson
CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal wrote in a response to Patil. She wrote, ”Thank you for your wonderful letter and frank feedback. I am glad that you enjoyed writing the physics exam. I can see that you have immense potential and talent just by the manner in which your letter engaged me from the beginning to the end. I am sure the future holds huge possibilities for you. All the best for all your endeavors and keep up the confidence kid!”
Teachers’ Views Regarding The Paper The first reaction of a few teachers on the online petition was that it was completely unnecessary. Noting the level of difficulty of the paper, a few teachers noted that there was no reason for students to raise concerns. The paper was balanced and would be accordingly assessed. Another teacher accorded that already the present CBSE guidelines ensure that the interests of the students are safeguarded.
Another teacher, however, pointed out that there is nothing wrong with students signing the online petition. She said that students are worried and CBSE itself has asked for feedback this year. Hence, if students feel they need to reach out to CBSE, they should. The teacher further adds that CBSE would ensure that the papers are marked in accordance with the masses.
Examiner Suggestion Regarding Signing The Petition
Questioning the teachers about the request of students signing a petition for lenient checking, the examiner suggested that CBSE always employs that stand. The examiner points out – if a student is able to grasp the concept and mention the same, he would be awarded marks. The examiner mentions that the CBSE has provisioned that students would be rewarded for the method and only a small portion is deducted for the calculation error if any.
Conclusion
The Physics paper was a quite tricky and difficult according to the students. Now, it would be quite interesting to note whether CBSE awards grace marks to students or not. If you want to share anything relates to it, then you can do the same in the comment section below.
