Reshuffle in Board Exams: Class 12th board exams might be back in two terms, and the final result for classes 10th and 12th will take into account the marks of the previous class, as per the New National Curriculum Framework policy.
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) which is being created in according with the new National Education Policy (NEP) suggests staying away from the current practice of splitting streams for classes 11 and 12th into science, arts, and business. It was last updated in 2005. This is not the first time that board exams patterns have been changed.
For class 10, Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) was first implemented in 2009, however, it was discontinued in 2017 and the board switched back to the previous system of year-end exams.
During the pandemic, the board exams for classes 10 and 12 were similarly divided into two terms as a one-time measure, but this year, the important exams were given again in the traditional year-end format.
While the draft NCF proposes two term exams for classes 11 and 12 calling it "modular board exams", it suggests that splitting the calender into two parts for classes 9 and 10 is "unnecessary".
What's new?
According to Education Ministry officials, the draft which is final stages will be put in public domain soon for feedback from stakeholders and the new system will be implemented from 2024 academic session.
As per NEP 2020, the secondary stage will comprise four years of multidisciplinary study (class 9-12), building on subject oriented pedagogical and curricular style of the Middle Stage... greater flexibility and student choice of subjects.
Greater flexibility and student choice of subjects
The eight curricular areas are---humanities, mathematics and computing, vocational education, physical education, arts education, social science, science and interdisciplinary areas.
The secondary stage has been divided into two phases-- classes 9-10 and classes 11-12. Broad curricular areas such as science, social science and humanities will be offered in classes 9 and 10. Disciplines such as history, physics and language within each Curricular Area will be offered in classes 11 and 12 to enable depth.
Describing the structure for classes 9 and 10, the draft NCF says: "To complete Class 10, students will complete two essential courses from each of the eight curricular areas available from a total of 16 essential courses across two years of Class 9 and 10. Both the classes will follow an annual structure (a semester structure in these classes is possible to construct but is unnecessary since all students will do all the essential courses)."
"Students must clear eight board examinations at the end of Class 10- these assess each of the two essential courses in each curricular area learnt during class 9 and 10. The final certification will be based on the cumulative result of each of the examinations," it adds.
The draft prepared by the national steering committee, headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, also suggests that the current practice of streaming into science, arts or humanities, and commerce will be replaced by a design that enables both breadth through engagement with a variety of courses across streams and depth in areas chosen by students.
For classes 11 and 12, the same set of eight curricular areas will continue to be on offer, but choice-based courses will be designed based on the disciplines (example: humanities discipline will offer languages, literature and philosophy) within the curricular areas to ensure deeper and more rigorous engagement.
This stage would be divided into semesters and each choice-based course would be for a semester. Students must complete 16 choice-based courses to complete Class 12. To ensure that the students have adequate breadth, they have to choose disciplines from at least three curricular areas and they have to complete four choice-based courses in that discipline.
For example, if a student chooses social science (curricular area) and history (discipline) within that, she must complete all four courses in history. She could then choose the humanities as the second curricular area and do four courses in philosophy. Mathematics could be the third curricular area with four courses in computer science. The fourth set of courses could be from one of the three curricular areas already chosen or from a completely different one.
"Alternatively, if a student chooses science (curricular area) and physics (discipline) within that, she must complete all four courses in physics. She could then choose arts as the second curricular area and do four courses in music. Mathematics could be the third curricular area with four courses in mathematics. The fourth set of courses could be from one of the three curricular areas already chosen or from a completely different one," the draft says.
She could then choose arts as the second curricular area and do four courses in music.
Mathematics could be the third curricular area with four courses in mathematics.
The fourth set of courses could be from one of the three curricular areas already chosen or from a completely different one," the draft says.
The NCF has been revised four times - in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005.
The new proposed revision will be the fifth of the framework.
With PTI inputs)
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