With a slew of changes proposed for primary education in Karnataka, not many hit the nail on the head, say experts pointing to the recent announcement of annual examinations for Class IX and first pre-university (PU) grade, stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Educationalists and students are confused about what the education board aims to achieve when there is already a firm system in place.
KE Radhakrishna, Educationist spoke to The New Indian Express and said, "What is the necessity to introduce such a system when there are already Board exams for Classes X and XII. Given the enormous management needed for drafting question papers and maintaining confidentiality, this move might not even be successful. Being a veteran in the education space, this is an unacademic move making children just 'cogs in the system' instead of encouraging civic sense, literature and historical knowledge."
Noting that this would increase students' stress levels and also impact their extracurricular activities, he added that focusing on summative exams would lead to less learning, and increase performance pressure and anxiety.
Radhakrishna suggested that instead of having one question paper for the entire state, the department could give the districts the option of preparing their own question papers.
Professor Venugopal KR, former vice-chancellor of Bangalore University, had a similar opinion and noted, "Students should be evaluated continuously. Formative assessment is the need of the hour, while summative assessment needs its share of weightage, a balance must be struck for the welfare of students." He proposed internal continuous learning rather than centralised exams.
Opposing the move
All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) opposed the government's decision, that was announced in the middle of the academic year. "While the mid-term exams are going on, the state government should have followed a process and involved teachers, parents and students before taking such decisions," said AIDSO State Secretary, Ajay Kamath.
Noting that the proposed reform coincides with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which had been cancelled by them, the organisation questioned the government's clear stand on the said rule.
Over 15 lakh students from Class IX and XI will appear for these summative exams in 2023-24, wherein, the question papers will be prepared under the Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB).
