A recent report submitted to the Education Ministry by PARAKH, a unit established within NCERT, aims to standardize school board assessments nationwide. According to a report by Indian Express, PARAKH recommends incorporating student performance from Classes 9, 10, and 11 into the final Class 12 marks.
Background of PARAKH
PARAKH, created in alignment with the National Education Policy, is tasked with:
- Capacity building
- Achievement surveys
- Establishing uniform assessment standards across different school boards
Consultations and Recommendations
After consultations with 32 school boards over the past year, PARAKH proposed that the final Class 12 report card include weighted contributions from earlier classes:
- 15% from Class 9
- 20% from Class 10
- 25% from Class 11
- 40% from Class 12
Evaluation Methods
The report suggests a blend of formative and summative assessments:
- Formative Assessments: Continuous classroom observations and project work
- Summative Assessments: Term-end exams
Grading Structure
The proposed grading structure for each class is as follows:
- Class 9: 70% formative assessments, 30% summative assessments
- Class 10: 50% formative assessments, 50% summative assessments
- Class 11: 40% formative assessments, 60% summative assessments
- Class 12: 30% formative assessments, 70% summative assessments
State Consultations
The report will be distributed to all school boards for input. Preliminary discussions have taken place with educational authorities from several states, including:
- Haryana
- Maharashtra
- Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Uttarakhand
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
Alternative Scoring Method Proposed by Some States
Some states proposed an alternative method for calculating final scores:
- Class 10: 40% of Class 9 score + 60% of Class 10 score
- Class 12: 40% of Class 11 score + 60% of Class 12 score
Credit-Based Assessment System
PARAKH proposed that assessments be measured in credits:
- Classes 9 and 10: Students can earn 40 credits each
- 32 credits allocated to specific subjects
- 12 credits for three languages
- 4 credits for mathematics
- 4 credits for science
- 4 credits for social sciences
- 32 credits allocated to specific subjects
- Classes 11 and 12: Students can earn 44 credits each
Credit Transfer System
It is recommended that educational boards create a credit transfer system that aligns with the National Credit Framework.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
- What is the primary task of PARAKH?
- a) To create a new curriculum for schools
- b) To standardize school board assessments nationwide
- c) To conduct school inspections
- d) To train teachers exclusively
- What percentage of the final Class 12 marks is proposed to come from Class 11?
- a) 15%
- b) 20%
- c) 25%
- d) 40%
- In Class 9, what proportion of the final score is suggested to come from formative assessments?
- a) 30%
- b) 50%
- c) 60%
- d) 70%
- Which states have already had preliminary discussions with educational authorities about the proposed assessment changes?
- a) Punjab and Kerala
- b) Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar
- c) Gujarat and West Bengal
- d) Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
- According to the alternative method proposed by some states, what percentage of the Class 10 score is derived from Class 9?
- a) 20%
- b) 40%
- c) 60%
- d) 80%
- How many credits can students earn each in Classes 9 and 10?
- a) 30 credits
- b) 40 credits
- c) 44 credits
- d) 50 credits