CBSE move to bar dummy school students from board exams may drive them to take NIOS route
Board is mulling the idea of amending examination byelaws with a recommendation to implement new rule from academic session
Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 07,04.2025
The CBSE students who are not found attending regular schools will most likely be disallowed from appearing for class XII board exams. This was discussed at the recent CBSE Governing Board meeting, with a recommendation that the new rule be implemented from the academic session 2025-2026. In such a scenario, students admitted to dummy schools that do not mandate 75% attendance requirements will have to bear the brunt.
Academics feel that the proposed rule will raise awareness of the rising menace of dummy schools and their long-term drawbacks, including gaps in conceptual learning and skill development. As part of its ongoing crackdown on dummy schools, CBSE is also mulling the idea of amending the examination byelaws which will not permit such students to appear in the board exams.
Eventually, they will have to take the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) exam to complete their class XII. Justifying the feasibility of the move, Pavnesh Kumar, former controller of Examinations, CBSE, while talking to Education Times, says, “As per the board’s examination byelaws, those candidates who do not complete 75% attendance will not be allowed to appear in the board exams. By default, it renders dummy school students ineligible for the board exam.
The CBSE’s move will address the wide proliferation of dummy schools which is destabilising the schooling system.”
False notion
The wrong perception about dummy schools is that all students attending them crack competitive exams. “The truth is, only a minuscule percentage get selected to study at the IITs and NITs. The CBSE initiative, if implemented, will stop the exodus of students from regular schools, many of which run the risk of becoming dysfunctional institutions,” Kumar adds. Sudha Acharya, former chairperson, National Progressive Schools’ Conference (NPSC) and principal, ITL Public School, who has been vocal about the impact of dummy schools, says, “In dummy schools, children are deprived of interpersonal, social, leadership and life skills, essential to face life’s challenges. This may explain why the suicide rate among students is increasing at an alarming rate. In dummy schools, there is also no focus on career counselling, experiential and competency-based lear ning. Even if children qualify for competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, CLAT etc, they cannot excel in innovation, research and problem-solving skills which a normal school provides.”
Data and details
Defining the true character of dummy schools, Acharya explains, “CBSE has the Online Affiliated School Information System (OASIS) record which includes details of all its schools along with the strength of every class, number of sections and teachers’ information. Based on this repository, it is possible to identify dummy schools where the number of students enrolled in class XI-XII is proportionately high compared to its other classes. The schools also tend to maintain false record of attendance so that students sit for internal and board exams, but during school hours attend coaching classes.”
Some students and parents might find CBSE’s new rule tough – especially those juggling school with intense competitive exam preparation. “But schools aren’t just exam factories; they are where students learn discipline, build lifelong friendships, and develop skills that matter far beyond test scores”, says Puneet Kothapa, president, Narayana Educational Institutions. Transition strategy As for NIOS with its flexible norms becoming a ‘fallback option’ for dummy school students, it is evident that independent learning can be challenging for students long accustomed to structured schooling, says Mannu Kapoor, principal, ODM Sapphire Global School, Ranchi.
“While some families may explore NIOS as an option, the overall shift is unlikely to be substantial. Instead, parents may reconsider dummy schools and prioritise structured schooling to ensure their children meet the board’s eligibility criteria,” Kapoor adds.
