Mita Mukherjee

The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will hold a meeting with its officials to discuss whether the ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) examinations will have to be rescheduled in the wake of rise in Covid-19 cases in the country and announce the decision at the earliest, Gerry Arathoon, secretary and chief executive of CISCE said on Wednesday.

“Ours is a national board and our X (ICSE) and XII (ISC) exams are conducted all over India. The numbers of Covid-19 cases are increasing. We will have to take a decision about the exams. We will discuss the matter in the council and announce our decision at the earliest,” Arathoon told EducationWorld.

The 2021 ICSE and ISC (theory) examinations are scheduled to start from May 4.

Following rising demand for cancellation of Class X and XII board examinations Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with the Ministry of Education of the Centre today. Later, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced postponement of the CBSE Class XII examinations and cancellation of the Class X board examinations. The CBSE X and XII exams were also slated to start from May 4.

Asked whether the council would take a decision along the same line, Arathoon told EducationWorld: “ The CBSE has postponed the Class XII exam. The Maharashtra state board too has postponed its exams.  We will be in a position to announce our decision only after discussing the matter in the council.”

After the CBSE’s announcement on the postponement of Class XII examination  and cancellation of Class X board examination, students under the ICSE and ISC curriculum were anxious to know whether the CISCE which has schools affiliated with it all over India would also take a similar decision.

Principals of several ICSE and ISC schools said many anxious students and parents contacted them to know whether examinations had been postponed or cancelled.

Also read: CBSE class 12 board exam postponed, class 10 exam cancelled: Education Ministry