Plight of IGCSE STUDENTS at VIbgyor International School
The IGCSE curriculum has been designed for innovative and conceptual studies. Most students of the Indian, London and Cambridge GCE Boards, study the whole year for class X, appearing at two Mock Tests(based on past papers) and then appearing for the final examination in May-June.
The students of class IX at Vibgyor International School, however, are in a unique and perhaps very difficult situation. Unlike students of normal schools who take mock tests in January and March, and their final exams in May- June, the authorities at Vibgyor have decided(for reasons of vested interest) that the students will take the final examination at the very beginning of the class X session(OCT-NOV"12), almost eight months ahead of the actual time(MAY-JUNE’13).
This implies that they have to finish the entire curriculum of class IX and X in 1 year and 2 months, something that students of Symbiosis and Gurukul International school do over two years.a herculean task indeed. Adding to their misery are two other factors- only 3 tests in a semester as opposed to 5 or 6 in other schools, and the fact that these tests are unannounced, when in other schools these are only conducted after unit completion. This naturally poses a huge concern for both students and their parents.
This being their first International BOARD EXAM, expectations are high for everyone- institutions, teachers and parents and the pressure on the children is immense. The disregard of school authorities towards the children’s ability to cope with this strict and unreasonable policy is even more of a problem when one analyses its longer term impact. The cramming of tests, mock tests and exams into such a short period will also affect results adversely and limit their choices for A level.
Not only that, but the students will be unoccupied, while their counterparts study at an even pace throughout the year. This is a decision that can have serious ramifications on the future of the children.