PANAJI
The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) and several secondary schools are facing a surge in inquiries from parents and teachers regarding the proposal to eliminate specifying streams while issuing Class XII results.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had last month announced that the State intends to do away with the current system at the higher secondary school (HSS) level, in line with the recommendations outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. However, with pending clarity owing to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the implementation for the upcoming academic year seems uncertain.
The Goan has reliably learnt that there are apprehensions, especially from parents, surrounding the use of these certificates for students aspiring to pursue specific fields once the new rule is implemented.
“We have been receiving inquiries from parents regarding the operational mechanisms post-issuance of the Class XII certificates under the proposed new system. The absence of stream designation could lead to confusion across all streams in their future education,” a school headmaster from Siolim said.
Another headmaster from Curtorim revealed that teachers too are unsure about how to categorize students based on subjects and marks, after the results.
“The only confirmation is that streams will continue allowing students to select subjects based on their chosen stream. However, it is the certificates alone that will no longer specify streams,” the headmaster said.
A few HSS' have decided to conduct an awareness session for parents and teachers, but with the government yet to provide clarity, confusion prevails.
The government, sources said, does not want a delay in starting the new system given that CBSE is already slated to implement the change.
“The Goa Board wants to keep pace with the national developments and function like the central boards for the benefit of the education system. Students seeking admission to Class XI for the academic year 2024-25 will enjoy a broader array of subject combinations, particularly in HSS offering multiple streams,” the source stated.
The official elaborated that subject combinations adhere to the six-subject norm. “Students interested in physics, chemistry, and mathematics (PCM) or physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) may pursue these combinations. Similarly, students inclined towards history can pair it with PCM or PCB…The NEP allows students to come out of that strict combination norms,” he said.
Goa Board officials were unavailable for comments on these concerns.
