Suggests to allow students to take Board examinations on at least two occasions during any given school year, with only the best score being retained
Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 26 (KNO): The National Curriculum Framework 2023 for School Education has suggested bringing reforms in board examinations for Grades 10 and 12 substantially to make it more ‘easier’ for the students.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the framework suggests, “The Board examinations for Grades 10 and 12 will also be substantially reformed. These will be made ‘easier’—the Board examinations will primarily aim to assess understanding and achievement of Competencies rather than months of coaching and memorization.”
The framework states that in order to further eliminate the ‘high stakes’ aspect of Board examinations, “All students will be allowed to take Board examinations on at least two occasions during any given school year, with only the best score being retained.”
Stating the pedagogy of the framework, the document reads, “In the long term, being able to take a subject Board examination immediately after the ‘school term’ that is ‘semester-wise’ or ‘on-demand’ Board examinations) will be made available.”
It also states that in order to enable deeper understanding of concepts across subjects, and their interrelations, and to enable the acquisition of the various aforementioned values, dispositions, and capacities, pedagogy in the classroom must become more effective.
“Depending on the matter of study, context, and stage of the student, these effective pedagogical approaches would be of a wide range, including pedagogy that is more experiential, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery- oriented, discussion-based, project-based, arts-based, sports-based, and activity-based. Such pedagogy will not only be more effective, but also more engaging and enjoyable,” it reads.
According to the National Curriculum Framework, I general, more participation, questioning, discussion, debate, and writing including creative writing by all students in the classroom in all subjects will help ensure the acquisition of capacities in languages, communication, and logical reasoning that are considered essential for effective exchanges of ideas across disciplines over a lifetime.
“Assessment too will be transformed in parallel to the changes in pedagogy, from primarily testing facts, to testing core capacities and Competencies,” it reads.
It also states that the ‘assessment culture’ must change too, so that assessment is conducted increasingly as learning and for learning.
“There must also be periodic assessment of learning to ensure readiness for the next phase of learning, and to arrange suitable support for students when this readiness is not achieved,” reads the report—(KNO)