Madhyamik results reveal avg students benefiting from evaluation pattern

Kolkata: The Madhyamik examination results declared on Tuesday revealed that average students have benefitted in the evaluation pattern envisaged by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and the so-called good students have ended up getting less marks than what they could have received if physical examinations were held.

For the first time in the history of Madhyamik, pass percentage is 100 percent with over 90 percent out of 1079749 students who had enrolled got first division (60 percent or more) marks.

The Board was compelled to cancel the examination in the wake of Covid situation and the students were evaluated on the basis of 50 percent weightage of the marks secured in Class IX annual examinations and five times the marks for internal formative evaluation held in Class X.

In the internal assessment of 10 marks, there is hardly any case when a student gets below 8. The average mark is 9 and sometimes full marks is also awarded.

Under this circumstance, most students have straightway got 45 in internal assessment. Now, even if he/she

gets average marks like 50 in Class IX, when 50 percent weightage to that is assigned (which is 25), the marks secured by him/her automatically goes up to 70.

On the other hand, if a meritorious student gets 80 in Class IX annual, 50 percent weightage (i.e 40) and 45 in internal assessment takes it to 85.

"This mathematical formula is a clear pointer that the average students have benefitted a lot. However , when a government has to come out with a mechanism of assessment in a pandemic situation, it is imperative that it would benefit the majority and the outstanding ones will suffer slightly. The state government has done exactly that and I believe that there was no other alternative available," a headmaster of a school in North 24-Parganas said.

Saugata Basu, general secretary of the West Bengal Government School Teachers' Association, said students who have scored in the 60-70 category will find it difficult to study in schools of their choice and also in selecting the subjects of their preference particularly in the Science stream.

"We are usually strict in awarding marks in Class IX annual examinations so that students are more serious when they sit for the Board examinations. The same pattern was followed this time too.

"No one knew that the situation would be such that holding of Board examinations won't be possible. It is obvious that if examinations would have been held, our students would have secured more marks," said a headmaster of a reputed South Kolkata school affiliated to WBBSE.