Panjim, March 18 (HERALD): The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Monday rejected allegations that there was anything unusual about the ‘difficulty level’ of the Classes X and XII Maths question papers set this year. It also reiterated that the Board will not allow dilution of standards and all efforts are on to make the Board, the best in the country.

“Parents and students are free to meet us and discuss this issue,” Chairman of Goa Board J R Rebello told Herald, adding that there will be no change in the standards being set by the Goa Board, to improve the quality of education in the State.

Reacting to recent reports in the media quoting parents, students and teachers on the tough Maths question papers for Classes X and XII, the official pointed out that they are well within the laid down guidelines and parameters.

“Those setting the papers have followed the guidelines and if one sees the papers 30 per cent component is easy, 50 per cent average and 20 per cent difficult.”

It was pointed out that post Maths paper exams for both classes X and XII, the Goa Board has verified the matter with its experts on the Board of Studies, who have certified that the question papers have been set based purely on the syllabus and as per the guidelines.

“There is nothing out of the syllabus and the component levels are also well balanced,” the Chairman claimed. He agreed that the class XII Maths paper was long but said that there was nothing unusual about the difficulty level. Also due credit would be given to the methodologies adopted by students in solving the papers.

Speaking on a host of other aspects pertaining to Maths, the Goa Board senior official disclosed that there are issues concerning performance of students in Maths.

While the Goa Board feels that the no-fail policy needs to take a look at the performance of lesser intelligent students in Maths upto class VIII, those who still cannot cope could drop the subject in class IX and opt for pre-vocational subjects instead.

Rebello said, “This option has not been utilized still and there are only a handful of institutions which are providing this option to their students.”

The Goa Board further explained that it cannot compromise or dilute the standards, particularly in Maths at the school level, as the same is further linked to higher studies and competitive exams where high standards are set.