Page 22 - EW 1-156 May 2024

Education News

DELHI Policy, 2020 has taken multiple steps
Overdue reform towards implementation of Compe-

tency Based Education in schools,
ranging from aligning assessment
to competencies, development of
exemplar resources for teachers and
students as well as continuous capac-
ity building of the teachers etc. The
main emphasis of the Board was (sic)
to create an educational ecosystem
that would move away from rote
memorisation and towards learning
that is focused on developing the
creative, critical and systems think-
ing capacities of students to meet the
challenges of the 21st century.”
Come 2026, the country’s 29,187
CBSE schools (as of date) will swi-
tchover to 100 percent competency-
based assessment and by that logic,
move away from exam-centric rote
CBSE headquaters, Delhi: calibrated switch learning to competency (skills and
critical thinking)-based learning.
ne of the most enduring — tional learning; exam reforms to test The move will coincide with the
and justified — criticisms of children’s conceptual comprehen- CBSE holding examinations twice a
OK-12 education in post-inde- sion, creativity and critical thinking year for which it is reportedly at an
pendence India is addiction to rote capabilities rather than memory; advanced stage of finalising an an-
learning through memorisation rath- introduction of continuous forma- nouncement soon.
er than comprehension. Obstinacy of tive assessment systems to replace However in light of the long his-
the country’s 69 school examination summative exams, and promotion tory of rote and/or memorisation
boards to reward students’ memori- of new digital technologies in school learning, CBSE’s shift to competen-
sation rather than originality, critical education. In July 2020, the 60-page cy-based assessment is being cali-
thinking and problem-solving skills National Education Policy (NEP) brated. In the academic year 2024-
in K-12 education is to a great extent 2020 accepting the Kasturirangan 25 starting July-August, the share of
the cause of India’s economic back- Committee’s draft in toto was ap- competency-based questions for the
wardness and pervasive poverty. proved by the Union cabinet. year-end board examination (theory)
Although a small minority of aca- Four years later, the Central for classes XI-XII will increase to 50
demics and development economists Board of Secondary Education percent and rise to 100 percent in the
as also EducationWorld (estb.1999) (CBSE) — the country’s largest na- academic year 2026-27. However,
have been advocating switch to tional school-leaving examinations the assessment format of class IX-X
comprehension aka competency- board which has 29,187 primary- students remains unchanged from
based learning for several decades, secondary schools including several last year.
a decisive shift to competency- top-ranked private schools (Emerald The leisurely pace at which
based learning began just five years Heights International, Indore, Mayo CBSE’s overdue switch to competen-
ago when the nine-member Dr. K. College, Ajmer, DPS, R.K. Puram, cy/comprehension-based learning
Kasturirangan Committee in its Delhi, Modern School, Delhi among — its rival CISCE (Council for Indian
484-page draft National Education others) — affiliated with it, has an- School Certificate Examinations)
Policy (NEP) recommended sev- nounced a calibrated switch towards board claims that its assessment and
eral sensible and overdue reforms. competency-based assessment which pedagogy for 2,891 affiliated schools
Among them: stress on ECCE (early will perforce change teaching-learn- is “far ahead” — has aroused some
childhood care and education), high ing/pedagogy in affiliated schools. indignation. “CBSE is a subsidiary
priority for functional literacy and In a circular dated April 3 to of the education ministry, it moves
numeracy of all children by age the heads of all affiliated schools at government speed,” says an irate
eight; encouraging holistic school CBSE stated: “The Board in ac- headmaster, speaking on condition
education with compulsory voca- cordance with National Education of anonymity.

22 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2024