CBSE announces slew of measures to de-stress board-bound pupils

New Delhi, Feb 14 (UNI) As more than 12 lakh students prepare for their annual board examinations, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) today a announced a slew of measures, including 15-minute ''cool off'' time, to save pupils from suffering exam- related anxiety and stress.

The Board has re-designed the question papers of seven subjects-- three for class ten and seven for class twelve-- to allow the students to complete the three-hour question paper in only two-and-a-half hours.

The CBSE, this year, will provide the ''cool off'' period, given to read the question paper before the start of the writing time, to help the pupils destress.

''The Board is making all out efforts to ensure that the board examinations as stress free as possible.... We have decided to continue with cool off time to bring near synchronization between speed and accuracy,'' CBSE chairman Ashok Ganguly told a news conference.

He said the ''blue print'' of seven class twelve papers -- Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Business Studies and Accounts-- has been redesigned. Similarly, for class ten science, mathematics and science question papers have been restructured, he added.

While more than 5.02 lakh candidates will this year appear for the twelfth standard board examination, beginning March 1, more that than 7.05 lakh pupils have registered for class ten examination, commencing on March 2.

For class ten, the Board, for the first time, has introduced internal assessment in Mathematics, restructured science practicals and revised assessment in Science and Technology.

''The objective of these changes is to bring in more objectivity in the system and transparency while evaluation...

If these changes prove to be successful we will implement them in other subjects,'' Mr Ganguly said.

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