International Baccalaureate says ‘no exams’ for all its courses

With CBSE Std X board exams also cancelled, students, parents wait for ICSE board’s decision

Just a day after the CBSE cancelled its Std X board exams, the International Baccalaureate (IB) announced that it will not hold exams in view of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in the country. Making the announcement on Wednesday, the board said that while students of the IBDP Programme (Std XI equivalent) will be marked based on predicted scores, those in the Middle Years Programme (which includes Std X) will be given alternative tasks for evaluation.  
 
In a statement the IB said, “Following continued conversations with our schools, associations and education boards, we can confirm that all IB schools in India will follow the no-exam route for the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme and alternative task method for the Middle Years Programme.”

“Schools have been informed about our decision to not hold exams in India due to the rising cases of COVID-19. The results of students in India should be declared based on coursework marks and predicted grades for the May 2021 session, as described in the awarding model outlined in February. For more details on the May 2021 session, students, parents and teachers are encouraged to talk to their schools’ IB coordinators,” shared an IB spokesperson. There are 185 IB schools in India.

Commenting on the development, Jasmine Madhani, head of Jamnabai Narsee International School, said, “The decision reflects empathy. We are at a point where health and safety of children are the priority. The IB has always had both options of assessments – exams or no exams – as it is spread across the globe. It is understood that if there is no possibility of holding exams, then an alternative arrangement is necessary.”

Madhani further said, “This comes as a great relief for students as well as their parents. Most of the students going abroad have already finalised their foreign university admissions and so instead of dealing with the anxiety of appearing for exams amid the pandemic, they can be relieved. With the IB’s announcement now it is clear that universities would consider the scores without any hesitation.”

Decision on ICSE exams soon

With back-to-back announcements of exams being cancelled, all eyes are set on what the Council for Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) would decide. The Council has said that it will take a decision regarding ICSE (Std X) and ISC (Std XII) exams at the earliest. 

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