ICSE Class 10 board exams cancelled by CISCE; Class 11 to begin in online mode 'at the earliest'

The Council for Indian School Certification Examination (CISCE) has taken a decision to cancel the Class 10 examinations altogether. This announcement comes in line with the decision taken by the CBSE. However, CISCE is yet to declare the method to announce the results for Class 10 students. An official notice by the council reads, “The options (which were) given in earlier circular, now stand withdrawn. The safety and well-being of our students and teaching faculty is our topmost priority and of paramount interest”. “A fair and unbiased criterion and date of result declaration will be announced by the CISCE later,” the Council added in the notice. Earlier in the week, the board had decided to allow students to choose their mode of assessment (to give students an option to select whether or not they wish to appear for ICSE or Class 10 exams). As per the previous order, students who would have selected to appear for the written exam would be assessed based on it. While those who would have opted out of the written exam would have been assessed on an “objective criterion”. But now all students will be assessed based on the “objective criterion”. Along with the declaration to cancel the Class 10 examinations, the CISCE has also asked teachers to start teaching Class 11 syllabus to these students “at the earliest”. Amid the pandemic and tense situation across the country, Class 11 will begin school in an online method. Schools have been asked to begin the admission process for Class 11 students along with a schedule.