EXAMINATION REFORMS
 

Prof. S. Guha Ray, Population Studies Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta

- Present annual examination system should be replaced by a comprehensive and continuous internal assessment.

Shri S.P. Patil, Headmaster, Z.P. Primary School, Pune (30.9.90)

- Overall and continuing internal evaluation system should be introduced in place of terminal or annual examination.

- Continuing internal evaluation system should be evolved and oral examination system be introduced.

Shri Sita Ram Singh, Lecturer, H.N.K. +2 School, Arrah, Bhojpur, (Bihar).

- In place of annual examinations, continuous internal evaluation system should be introduced.

Shri Jagdish Sharan Sharma, Headmaster, Nagariya Sobarni, P.O. Sahi Distt. Bareilly, U.P.

- Progressive methods should be adopted for examination. Fear of examination should be removed from the minds of students.

Shri Shashi Bhushan Singh, Noomar, Dadha, Monghyr, Bihar.

- Present system of examination should be totally abolished, instead the quiz system should be introduced.

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Dr. Krishna Lal, Professor and Head, Department, of Sanskrit University of Delhi (20.09.1990)

- Internal evaluation method should be developed to discourage private tuitions.

Dr. B. Bhattacharyya, Chairman, Bihar State Board of Homoeopathic Medicine Patna, (11.10.1990)

- The system of examination which is prevailing today is satisfactory enough.

The Principal, Adarsh Inter College, Shambhuganj, Jonpur (6.10.90)

- The valuation through examination has its own importance. The examination system should continue to be observed by boards and universities. The filtration method is necessary in education system.

Shri G.S. Sharma, President, Karnataka Unaided Schools' Management Association, 9 Vanivilas Road, V.V. Puram, Bangalore (15.10.1990)

- Public examinations should be abolished within five years and in the meanwhile internal evaluation system should be refined and strengthened. Introducing Semester system will reduce the burden of rote-memory on children. Internal evaluation should be continuous and comprehensive.

Dr. B.D. Swami, 62/4, Shivpuri, Meerut City-250001 (26th October, 1990)

- The internal assessment suggested In the Paper is likely to encourage favourtism.

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Dr. jyoti Shankar, Secretary, Teachers Association, K.A.D. College, Allahabad (5th October, 1990

- The system of annual examination be abolished. Instead, students should be Issued a certificate to the effect that he has attended the particular course on so many working days. Publication of guess papers should be banned.

Shri Alain Bernard, Director of Administration., Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research, Auroville (9.10.90)

- So long as the system of examination and the linkage of jobs and degrees will continue, there will be cramming, rote learning and real education will not be able to flourish.

Shri Harminder Singh Dhanoa, Lecturer, Govt. College of Education, Patiala AND Dr. Sunil Dutt, Lecturer, Sohan Lal DAV College of Education, Ambala City.

- For delinking degrees from jobs., it is essential to establish a National Testing Service to conduct tests to determine the suitability of candidates for specified jobs. Such a test can also be used for further promotions.

Prof. Jacob Aikara, Professor and Head, Unit for Research in the sociology of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Post Box No. 8313, Bombay 400088. (6th October, 1990)

- The proposal to replace public examinations with internal assessment and to have entrance tests for admission into a higher stage of education and for recruitment in jobs will not do away with the certificate given by the, educational institutions. Institutions of' higher education and employers will continue to use certificates of education as a screening device. Hence the proposed change will not have any serious impact.

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Director., Pre-University Education and Ex-Officio Secretary to the Board of Pre-University Education, Government of Karnataka, Palace Road, Bangalore-560001 (16th October, 1990)

- The introduction of the comprehensive and continuous evaluation and remedial work in learning is very welcome. But the elimination of the public exam within a time frame may be unwelcome, even in a situation where recruitment to government and semi-government jobs are done by special recruitment test.

Dr. R. Bandyopadhyay, Director, Centre for Applied Systems Analysis in Development, D-5/8, Salunke Vihar, Pune-411022 (19.10.90)

- Continuous evaluation is not such an unmixed blessing as it is made out to be. Students tend to learn or memorise a subject piecemeal. In continuous evaluation there is a tendency to miss the holistic view of learning. Learning is fragmented and superficiality develops. Dis-aggregating evaluation process as far as possible is reductionist in nature and is not consistent with the other declaration by the committee that 'education should be holistic'.

- Regarding the conduct of the examination at the end of the course/following modifications are suggested:

(i) The course per year may be divided into two semesters. Class performance - regularity, home assignments and sincerity of the students all together may contribute 15% of the credits. This is to be strictly allocated by the teacher concerned.

(ii) There should be a quarterly examination covering the portion covered in the first quarter of the first semester. The result of this should contribute 10% credit.

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(iii) There should be `semester'end' examination covering the course of the whole semester. This should contribute 15% of the total credit in the subject concerned. In the second semester the pattern may be repeated except that the end of the year examination should broadly cover the entire course during the whole year and should carry 35% of the credit.

- Each district should have a District Examination Board to supervise, conduct and control the 'end-of course' examinations after classes X and XII. Semester and examinations in Classes X and XII must be done in each school under the overall supervision of the District Examination Board. Every year districtwise list of candidates in order to merit should be prepared and allocation to various higher level courses (professional, medical, etc.) should be effected.

- Basic educational background required for various types of jobs in the employment market should be identified before any detailed programme for delinking can be initiated.

Ms. Rupa Athreya, C/o Mrityunjay B. Athreya, A-28, Chittaranjan, Park., New Delhi (9th October, 1990)

- The committee's suggestion to scrap examinations is possibly the best thing that could happen to Indian education. If examinations are eliminated, the students can do more subjects, as the necessity of restricting the number to five, in view of the cramming required for the examination, would no longer exist. Since the assessment would be internal, it is bound to be quite subjective.

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Shri P.D. Sachdeva, General Secretary, Government School Teachers' Association, Delhi, Govt. Co-ed Sr. See. School, Kitchner Road, New Delhi (20th October, 1990)

- A provision should be made for re-evaluation of answer books.

Shri B.L. Seth, President, Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh, 45, Ganesh Nagar, University Road, Udaipur (22.10.1990)

- The time has not yet come for introduction of modular courses at the school level. However, such courses be introduced at college level.

Prof. Suraj Bhan Singh, Chairman, Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology, West Block VII, R.K. Puram, New Delhi 110022 (29th October, 1990)

- The proposal on examination reforms is laudable as an idea. However, too much decentralisation not only of evaluation but also of formulation of syllabus would signal two dangers: lack of uniformity in standards and temptation for corruption. The suggestion to have separate entrance examinations for admission to higher stages of education is a welcome one but a degree through annual public examination should be an additional qualifying condition.

Dr. (Smt.) Jyoti H. Trivedi, Raj Mahal, Juhu Koliwada, Bombay (17th September, 1990)

- The college/school complexes should have their own examinations. As far as professional disciplines of medicine, engineering etc. are concerned there should be national examinations for those who want to practice their profession.

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Shri R. Slattery, Principal, Teacher's Training College, Sitagarha P.O., Hazaribag Distt., Bihar (22nd October, 1990)

- In the matter of examination reforms the things to be taken note of are ensuring honesty and integrity in conducting examination, both internal and external, preparation of questions that test all the faculties and not just the memory and autonomy for the educational institutions.

Shri D.J.K. Cornelius, A-916, Poonamalle High Road, Madras (24th October, 1990)

- A system of malpractice-proof internal assessment should replace the present examination system. The progress of the student should be norm referenced with an emphasis on self-improvement.

- The transition from primary to secondary and then to the tertiary levels of education should be through entrance level tests which would be a forerunner to the tests which would be provided by the user institutions or agencies later.

Dr. (Mrs.) Radha Thiagarajan, Vice-Chancellor, Alagappa University, Alagappa Nagar, Karaikudi (19.10.1990)

- Every educational institution (college or university should have an Exam Reform Unit to monitor comprehensive and continuous internal assessment.

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Shri K.S. Acharlu, Gandhi Vigyan, 80, Temple Road, I Main, Malleswaram, Bangalore-560 003 (8.10.90)

- Delinking degrees from jobs for all purposes is a desirable step. In fact, no degree should be awarded. In its place a certificate of personality development with details of work done should be issued at the end of the education year.

- The assigning of arithmetical numbers or symbols for performance should be scrapped as they are unreliable and in their place certificates of performance should be provided. During the academic year the pupils should prepare full monthly records of their educational time the class lectures and discussions, the books read, the notes prepared, the community service rendered, experience of the work done, contacts with peers and outside guests, learning outcomes, class tests, participation in cultural functions, games etc. This record should be serutinised by the teacher. At the end of the academic year a final documentation of the year's educational work and performance should be presented by every student. This record should serve as the basis for certification.

Shri Gangaram M. Mistry, Headmaster, Unchi Dhanal Prathmik Shala, At&PO Unchidhanal, Distt. Sabarkantha (Gujarat) (15.10.90)

- The system of examination should be abolished from standards I to VIII. The final public examination should be held at the end of the VIII standard. However, some sort of monthly evaluation system should be introduced in standards I to VIII to test the students' knowledge.

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Dr. T.H.V. Prasada Rao, Principal, M.V.S.R. Engineering College, 6-1- 486, Saidabad, Hyderabad (14.10.90)

- In the universities it is the usual practice to select one individual as a paper setter for each examination papepr. But a group of experts must set the question paper as long as the present examination system is in vogue. - During the first twleve years of schooling students must be awarded letter grades like 'A', 'B', 'C' etc. against evaluation of their performance. Strict procedures to classify their aptitudes for learning must be introduced. Those who are good at skills and those good at assimilating knowledge and capable of pursuing higher studies must be distinguished during the twelve years.

Shri K.L. Joshi, Ex-VC, Indore University, `KAIVALAYA' Suresh Society, Gulmohar Road, Erandavana, Poona (7.10.1990)

- Examination should be considered a part of the teaching process and that should be entirely left to the teachers. Questions and answers is a teaching process which cannot be dispensed with.

Shri B.S. Gundu Rao, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Pre-University Composite College, PBNo. 1716, Konea Agrahara, Hal Bangalore (8th October, 1990)

- A system of comprehensive and continuous Internal evaluation system is most welcome. But the reliability, validity, objectivity and accountability of the process and the tools of evaluation must be ensured. The personnel who practise them i.e. teachers need proper orientation before they try their hands in it.

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