Public exam only for Class 12: SCERT proposes major revamp, govt to soon release draft framework

Thiruvananthapuram: The draft framework of school curriculum reforms has recommended holding annual public examinations only in Class 12, which falls in the final phase of school education. The draft has been prepared under the guidance of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), and the government will soon release its documents.

At present, the public examinations are currently conducted at the higher secondary and SSLC levels. However, as per the new proposal, it will be limited to Class 12. Whereas in other classes, continuous assessment is sufficient for the academic grading of students.

Further, the draft also recommends embracing international standards to raise the quality of teachers in schools. As part of this, students should be given the freedom and opportunity to evaluate their teachers. Teachers should also ensure that children acquire prescribed learning abilities by the end of every academic year. 

Major recommendations 

1. The semester system should be considered for public examinations. The current education system assesses only the students’ knowledge in a particular subject instead of their comprehensive development. Public examinations should be conducted for Class 12 only and continuous assessment should be opted for other classes. 
2. Instead of lessons, learning objectives must be determined and these should be assessed in the final exams. 
3. Prime importance should be given to critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and logical reasoning. 
4. Assistance can be sought from information communication and artificial intelligence technologies.