New Delhi: Stating that education should not be a source of trauma for students and parents, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal today said the Government would make class X examination optional.
Unveiling the legislative and policy initiatives for first 100 days of his Ministry, Mr Sibal said children and their parents have to pass sleepless nights as class X examinations approach, which
should not happen.
"This is unacceptable. We must detraumatise education system. We will reform it and make Class X examination optional," he said at a press conference in Delhi.
The Minister said education and examination should not be a source of tension for students and their parents, and for that the present system of assessment of a student's achievement would have to be changed.
The Ministry would introduce a system for replacement of marks by grades in schools affiliated to the CBSE for class IX and X.
He said the examination system would be reformed in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework-2005. This will make the class X examination optional, thus permitting students continuing in the same school(and who do not need a board certificate) to take an internal assessment instead.
"This will be done in 100 days," Sibal said.
The Minister also said the Government would try to enact the Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, and so would see that the Bill was passed in the coming Budget session.
Regarding creation of an All India Madarsa Board, Mr Sibal said his Ministry would try to evolve a consensus for that. He sought to clarify that his Ministry had no intention of interfering in the religious education being imparted in these institutions, but would want their students to get secular education too, so that they could study in universities.
The Minister said the Government would also formulate a policy framework for a Public Private Partnership model in school education.
Besides, a National Curriculum Framework for teacher education would be evolved in consultation with stakeholders and in accordance with NCF-2005.
Sibal also announced that the National Literacy Mission would be recast to focus on women.
He said the Government would explore the possibility of setting up an independent accreditation body in the area of school education.
"We must detraumatise students who sometimes commit suicide," Sibal said, emphasising the need for change in the system of marking.
The Government will introduce a system to replace the present assessment procedure of giving marks to awarding grades which will reduce stress, he said.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be the first board to introduce the grading system in the country. A proposal is pending in this regard.
The Government will explore the possibility of setting up an independent accreditation body for schools to ensure quality. At present, the schools are not accredited to any agency, Sibal said.
The minister said all step should be taken to enact the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, which seeks to make education a fundamental right of every child in the age group of six to 14 years.
"The bill should be passed in this session so that every child is given statutory right to education," he said.
The Government also wants to set up an All India Madrassa Board which will award degrees equivalent to CBSE and other boards. The board will frame policy to impart secular and technical education to Muslims without interfering the religious teachings.
"We will strive to evolve a consensus on this issue," he said, adding that efforts would also be made to amend the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act to further strengthen it.
Comments
0 comment