Indian schools should develop a system of awarding credits and devise an aptitude test for Classes IX and X to spot talented students, said the recently published report by the Niti Ayog, Strategy for New India @ 75. The report that collated and analysed data from surveys conducted by Appraisal Subordination Entitlement Reduction (ASER), National Achievement Survey (NAS) and other agencies suggested that a system of awarding credits for every subject and grade passed, specifying the minimum credits required to appear in the final exam for any grade would be the right step forward.
This proposed system of credits may remain valid forever and will be seamlessly integrated across different levels of education. "This will provide an opportunity for life-long tracking of learning outcomes in the electronic national educational registry and will enable bright children to amass more credits in the subjects of their interest, once the system attains maturity," proposed the report.
Like in many developed countries, a specially devised aptitude test must be conducted in Class IX and re-checked in Class X, based on which students should be given the option of choosing a ‘regular’ track versus an ‘advanced’ track. "These two tracks would differ in the difficulty level and choice of subjects. Those pursuing the 'regular’ track should be given the option of completing the ‘advanced’ track syllabus through open schooling at a later point in life," suggested the report.
With an objective of achieving 100 per cent enrolment and retention at elementary education and secondary education levels and achieving zero dropouts until Class X, the report points out the constraints that Indian public schools face when it comes to funding, infrastructure, governance of the school bodies and counselling and support. The proposal aims to show the way towards a solution by 2022. "There have been such proposals and promises to revamp the system previously as well. But for the plans to be executed properly in the ground level, the system itself needs to be robust," said Sayedur Rahman, who teaches at a primary school in West Bengal.
The report also proposes to give children the option, under the guidance of the school and parents, of branching into vocational courses from secondary school level upwards. Only children who expressly choose to continue with general education should be allowed to do so.
