Examining Examinations

Context: Need of an education system that encourages children to question and learn.

What are the problems with our current examination system?

• The cut-throat nature of our examination system celebrates the success of a few and creates unhealthy competition.
• This leads to an excessive amount of stress in children who are physiologically, psychologically and emotionally not ready to handle it.
• There is a wealth of information and insight about a student’s potential and ability that cannot be captured in a report card.
• Exams in India focus on grades rather than on what is learnt. This is also why students choose careers in domains where they have scored well in, rather than fields that they are interested in.

How will NEP 2020 help in holistic learning?

• The New Education Policy 2020 places emphasis on holistic and collective learning rather than having one main exam determines a student’s fate.
• Students are to be evaluated based on their performance in different classes, the first two years of primary school are to be test-free from 2021.
• Report cards will no longer include the class and level rankings at both primary and secondary levels.
• Board exams will cover a range of subjects and test only core concepts. Students can take exams on two occasions during an academic year.
• In order to track students’ progress throughout their school years, exams will be conducted in classes III, V, and VIII and a common national exam will be introduced for students applying to the 60-odd universities in the country.
• This will regulate how universities are run and will also “set higher standards and build rigour into the education system”.
• Such changes will help create a holistic learning environment that is safe, supportive, and provide opportunities to learn and excel in non-academic as well as academic domains.

What are the requirements for successful implementation of NEP?

• Extraordinary efforts in the training and professional development of teachers.
• The implementation of technology-based solutions and processes that can supplement teacher training and bring in scalable, sustainable and measurable change.

Way forward

• The primary motive of school education should be to impart knowledge, values, and skills that will help develop necessary life skills to be successful.
• With successful private and public collaboration, the NEP’s visions for early childhood to higher education, professional education to vocational education, and teacher training to professional education can be realised.