Events & Issues

New Delhi, 22 April 2021

Exams Under Examination

Pariksha pe Charcha

Dr. S. Saraswathi

(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)

Prime  Minister  Narendra   Modi    urged   students  to  look upon exams as  an  opportunity  and   not   as  an  end of  life’s  dreams.    He was  conducting  the fourth annual interaction session with students –  “Pariksha   pe  Charcha” in  a  new  virtual format   to avoid physical  presence  in view of  the  pandemic.  PM connected  directly  with students, teachers, and  parents     to get  their views on the current examination system   and  associated  matters.   

This is part of a movement to create a “stress-free atmosphere”    for  the  young called  the  “Exam Warrior”.    The  objective  is  extremely relevant  in   the context of  growing exam-related problems  and  the  tension  that has gripped children ,  youth,  and  parents as the consumers and teachers  and managers as service providers.  PM has also outlined a new  approach  to education, knowledge, and holistic  development  of students in  the publication  “Exam Warrior”.    He has tried to put   exams  -   a  ritual-like    educational  activity thoroughly upset  under   the  pandemic  -   in proper  perspective.

This  movement  dri ven    by  the PM   has the aim of   promoting   an  environment     “where the  unique  individuality  of each  child is celebrated,  encouraged,  and allowed   to express itself fully”.   

Exams,   in the course of evolution  of   the  education system,  have become the starting point of education  and  also   the goal post of   education.    Even  pre-KG kid seeking admission   has to appear for an interview  along with his/her parents   before teachers  and  school authorities.  

School and college life    is a series of exams of different  levels  of importance.  Entry to various courses  and exit  from  them  after  completion  of the course  are possible  only  through  the gate called exams.   And so  when COVID-19  has  intruded into   school life,  universal worry is not so much about the  interruption  caused  to learning    and acquisition of knowledge as about the interruption  to various  examination  schedules   and  subsequent  entry into  and completion of   various courses, and likely wastage  of months and even years .

The  Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has  cancelled Board  examinations  for Class  X  and postponed  Class  XII    examinations  in view of the pandemic  situation getting worse day by day.   It set the precedent to be followed   by  State  Boards sooner or later.

States were at different stages of  preparation  for  conducting  Board exams at that time.  Preparation has two sides – physical preparation of making  arrangements  for  observing COVID protocol  strictly  and  for taking immediate action  if any emergency were to arise,  and  mental  preparation of  students to write the exams amidst uncertainty.  In normal years,  students   are provided many revision  sessions , given assignments and  tests so that they get ready to face the final.   All  these  have  fallen flat  with only uncertainty before them as  the reality.  Exam stress   multiplied  enormously  affecting  large sections of the population besides students.

In  the  month preceding cancellation/postponement of  CBSE   exams,  state governments have taken varied steps  with regard  to state board  exams  which add to  confusion.

“All pass  order”    already    issued  by  the Government  of  Tamil Nadu  cancelling all arrear examinations  has been   declared  an “uninformed political decision”  by  the Madras  High Court directing the State to conduct online  examinations   to those who have arrears to clear.   The Government has to abide by  the  verdict  and has informed the court that  “no  student would be declared passed without  writing an online exam”.  

However, practical exams for Class XII students have been commenced  in many States  with  special safety precautions.  Laboratory readiness  to  prevent virus  entry  is more important than student preparation.    CBSE also restored the   full  syllabus  which was curtailed for 2021   for  Classes IX to XII.     Score improvement  examinations ,  which have the  effect of  lessening  exam-related  tension,  are planned to be conducted  in 2021.

PM’s  Charcha  has opened the door  for examination reforms.    The vision of making  exams less  stressful  is  sought  to be realized by   new measures  designed  to transform  assessments and focus on  students achieving success through learning outcomes rather than  rote memorization.   It  is termed competency-based  assessment  and   will  be  gradually  introduced.   

In   2020, board exams   included competency-based questions.  Their proportion will be increased year after year so as to get a weightage   of  50 to 60%  by  2025. It is intended to equip  students  with employability skills.            

The on-going  CBSE plan   for making  exams   less  stressful  includes  introduction of Holistic Progress Cards (HPC)  to provide  students  with information  on their strengths , areas of interest,  and areas of focus to help them  make optimal career choices.   The object is remove the  notion of     exam  as  an end  in itself  and make it  a means for improving   life beyond it.

Holistic  Education  started   as a movement in education   by   the    pioneering efforts of   the  South African  military leader,  General  Smutts  (1870-1950)  who was     responsible  for the    creation of  the  Union of South Africa.    Holistic  education  was mostly used to refer to  the  more democratic and humanistic  types  of   alternative  education.  It seeks to   engage  the   learner totally with  mind, body, and spirit.  It  is based on the premise    that  each  person  finds identity, meaning,  and  purpose in life through connections to their   local community, to the  natural world, and to the humanitarian values  such as compassion and  peace.  Thus, education may become a felt   experience useful   throughout    one’s  life.

National  Education  Policy in India (2020)  discards traditional modes of  evaluation of students   and opens a more comprehensive and   multi-dimensional approach to student assessments.  It states that  a national assessment body  - the Performance Assessment, Review, and  Analysis of  Knowledge for  Holistic   Development-  (PARAKH) will be established.  This body  will be responsible for  setting standards,  norms  and guidelines for evaluation of  students for  all recognized school   boards.  NEP  requires that teachers have to be prepared for  the  transformation in  the   Assessment     System to be commenced  by  2022-23 academic  session.   

In  the new  system, students will be graded on self-awareness,  inter-personal relationships, problem-solving,  and   dealing with stress and  creative skills.  Multiple sources will be used to continually gather information on a student’s development   to   provide  feedback  to support and guide learning.  Students will   clarify  learning   intentions, assess themselves  and  one  another, set goals for improvement,  and  track and communicate their progress.    

Redesigned Report Cards will reflect in detail the progress and individuality of each learner in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor  domains.  The Report will record  assessment by self,   peer,  and   teacher.  It sounds fantastic, but much depends on keenness and commitment of the three assessors  to produce expected results.

The change of the Examination system is described as change from “formative assessment” at the end of a course to “summative assessment” which involves continuous assessment.  School leaving examinations have already been cancelled, postponed or modified across Europe.  But, nowhere is it seen as an opportunity to overhaul the education system.

Under Covid compulsion, education is getting linked with technological development long after media, telecommunication, and financial services. But, if online exam were to continue  testing  students’ retention ability like the old system, the change would make no difference to education system.   We want a total transformation of education.---INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)