Experts warn about the erosion of education: Will the CBSE board lose relevance after CUET?
Students are encouraged not to solely rely on taking entrance tests for these 90 key universities, 19 of which are private institutions. However, according to education experts, only pupils who wish to compete at the level of JEE, NEET, or IIT would still benefit from CBSE and ongoing evaluation. The class 10 exam will continue to be a student’s only important test at this level.
Students might not learn in-depth information
“When pupils study a few things more deeply in classes 11 and 12, CUET has eliminated that significance. Board exams were split into two portions throughout the pandemic as well. In essence, it is about ongoing evolution. The concentration of the school is still on classes 11 and 12, but that focus is gradually eroding. Teachers also take assignments “said Abha, a Delhi-based educationist.
Education experts regret that an MCQ answer format will ultimately dilute competence because it does not measure true knowledge.
Fight for the seats will continue
However, the CUET has not lessened the anxiety of high cut-offs that is frequently present in fights over places at the esteemed Delhi University. “There is a discrepancy between supply and demand. There will still be 1.5 lakh places to be filled, with 70,000 of those at Delhi University.”
The majority of universities will start their semesters on or around September 15th, according to Abha.
However, because of the uncertainty, many people have begun to reserve their places at private universities. The secretary of UGC universities issued a letter in this regard stating, “It has come to my attention that some universities have begun registration in UG courses for session 2022-23 students from CBSE will be denied admission to UG courses if the last date is fixed by the universities before CBSE result declaration.”
State Board Students Continue to be at a Disparity
In comparison to the central board, state boards continue to be at a disadvantage. 42 universities had rejected CUET when the idea was first brought up, citing additional difficulties with university admissions.
Even though officials have stated in the past that they have looked at the class 12 syllabus from 20 state boards across India, educationist Abha claims that since the test format is based mostly on NCERT, the CBSE board kids may have a higher edge in CUET.
“In India, only over 22,000 schools use the CBSE board curriculum; the majority use the state boards’ curriculum. If a CUET that is mostly NCERT-based causes harm to the state board and the education of pupils, “She spoke. Political science and history typically take into account the state’s culture and ethos, despite the claim that some topics, like English, mathematics, physics, or science-based subjects, may not be all that different.
Not Everyone Would Choose CUET
This year, the central institutions in Uttarakhand, India, and the northeast have been excused from holding CUETs. According to the official circular issued by the Union Education Ministry, NE and Uttarakhand Central University requested a waiver from the CUET 2022 exam for undergraduate admissions, citing operational challenges. This covers the universities of Sikkim, Rajiv Gandhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura, among others.
Meghalaya’s North-Eastern Hill University, Uttarakhand’s HNB Garhwal University, and Mizoram University are among examples. For undergraduate admissions, nine colleges have received exemptions from CUET 2022. In the letter provided by the UGC, these universities listed several justifications for not implementing CUET 2022 as a standard, centralised test for admission, including a lack of adequate infrastructure, restricted digital connectivity, and geographic constraints.
Concern over the delayed CBSE results
The lack of a release date for the results is another concern for students, though the computer-based CUET exam. The National Testing Agency may face intense pressure to release the results on time, which could cause a significant delay in the CBSE exam results. Additionally, sources claim that the release of the results could take a month because Term 1 and Term 2 assessments are being combined. The last round of the CUET exam, which is being administered in two sections, has been prolonged until August 20.
Immediate Push for Commercialisation of Coaching
A professor from Delhi University who wished to remain anonymous remarked, “Students would now feel that we should take coaching lessons and study in an open school.”
The professor explained that this would also make education more expensive. “One would need to decide whether they want to spend all the money on taking coaching for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, or CLAT, or spending money on coaching centres will lure them to the idea that studying in their institute will help one garner a seat in the college of one’s choice through CUET,” the professor said. The NTA has also extended the deadline for additional registrations through July 18 for CUET in light of the students who have already registered more than 14 lakh times.
