 LANGUAGE

Many shortcomings, if not evils, are pleguing our present examination system. it is rightly said that the role of examination system as well as the certification the at the heart of the process and it has made education less productive than it should be. The consensus emerging from the deliberations of educational institutions and association indicates that the changes should be sought in the direction of examination becoming continuous instead of one shot affair at end-of-a-term or year, internal instead of external, multifaceted instead of the essay type and that examination reforms should be given the top priority in any scheme of improving educational system.

Examination system

It has been suggested that the examination system should be re- oriented. such a view appears irresistible from experiences. One institution, for instance, states that : "We have found from bitter experience that syllabi can change but if the examination system remains the same nothing is achieved". Various measures are suggested for the modification of examination system. These include introduction of internal assessment, continuous evaluation, grade and credit system and semester system etc.

Internal assessment

The need for internal assessment has been felt by quite a few institutions which suggest that it should be enforced throughout the course. The common suggestion i this regard in that : "There should be a balance between internal assessment which can be continuous and fairly objective and external evaluation which should be less frequent and more general".

For evaluating the competence of the student the internal assessment system should be strengthened. An education institution which has proposed a National Educational Policy, said :

"The purpose of tests and evaluation will be only to intimate the teacher as well as the taught the level of learning and capability and promotion to the next higher class will be on the basis of knowledge, efficiency and practical experience.

Continuous Evaluation

The suggestions in respect of continuous evaluation as follows: (i) At the primary level, evaluation should be continuous with a strong component of remedial teaching, so that the detention system can be abolished at the primary level; (ii) The stress in the continuous evaluation should be on the total personality development riot merely in terms of marks, grades or ranks. The focus should be or. measuring the potentialities as well as achievement, ability as well as knowledge, reasoning as well as mastery of facts; and scientific methods of evaluation should be evolved. The present system of giving marks has been criticised and suggestions have come forward that the present system of giving marks should be replaced by grades developing a grading system. Further it is suggested that grades should be introduced on an ail India basis. The credit system has been advocated to prevent drop-out rate at the secondary level. To lessen the burden of students at the end of year, the need of introducing Vile semester system has been felt.

To maintain the uniform standard of education, it was suggested to have National Testing service on the lines of common entrance examination for engineering and medical admissions for all the: courses. Further it was also suggested that scholastic aptitude tests are necessary to admit students at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Some of the institutions were convinced that "assessing the progress of primary education on the basis of reported enrolments should be stopped" but suggested instead that the progress should be checked with_the criteria of (a) enrollment, (b) retention, (c) achievement. A nationwide achievement test be conducted.

For governing the examination, it has been suggested that an evaluation examination at the All India level should be held at the end of the 10th standard for which a National level Board should be established.