Bengaluru: The Bengaluru regional office of Central Board of Secondary Education has directed affiliated schools in Karnataka to not begin grade 10 and 12 classes before April 1, reiterating that the academic session must run from April 1 to March 31.It’s common for Bengaluru schools to wind up class 9 and 11 in February, and kick off class for 10 and 12 immediately — two months ahead of schedule. In a Feb 23 circular, CBSE stated many schools were “forcing” class 10 and 12 students to attend classes for the new academic session during summer vacation.Quoting from a 2023 CBSE directive, the circular said compressing coursework into a reduced timeframe could overwhelm students and lead to anxiety and burnout. Principals were advised to follow the academic calendar, it added.A senior regional officer said the latest advisory follows complaints from parents that vacations are being sacrificed as schools conduct classes immediately after exams. School heads flagged practical concerns, saying they cannot run classes in April when the summer is harsh in South India. The April-March calendar fits North Indian states. “CBSE must allow schools to customise timelines based on their location,” said the principal of a prominent CBSE school in Bengaluru.“We cannot start class 10 and 12 portions by June. In that case, we will not be able to complete portions in time to prepare students for the Boards. The alternative is a March start and then break for vacation. We hope the Board understands our dilemma,” the principal added.Last year, nearly 94,000 students registered for class 10 and 22,000 for class 12 board exams in Karnataka.
