Thiruvananthapuram: A recommendation has been made to scrape grace marks given for extra curricular activities in the draft action plan, prepared for revamping the curriculum framework for schools. The draft action plan prepared by the SCERT has also recommended drastic changes in the LSS, USS scholarship examinations as well.

Severe criticisms were levelled against NSS, Scout and SPC for running programs that did not have any connection with the syllabus, the groups were also called out for their undemocratic selection process. SCERT also alleged that school festivals are being just reduced to venues for accumulating grades and scores in the name of practice sessions.  

In the draft action plan, the process of adding up grace marks with the public examination grades of students was described as an unscientific process. While arguing to scrape grace marks, the committee headed by SCERT also said that the excellence of students in extracurricular activities shall only be acknowledged as special credits in those fields, rather than mixing it up with academics. 

The scholarship examinations also came under scanner for not focusing on the knowledge building process.

In the newly proposed curriculum framework, teachers, PTA members, local institutions and the education department were instructed to conduct internal and external assessments/reviews of educational institutions in their respective localities.