Govt recommends abolition of exams till class X

Govt recommends abolition of exams till class X
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MARCH 2: The Centre has recommended the abolition of examinations till class 10 and will also constitute a child commission to delve into problems like corporal punishment in schools and heavy school bags for school children, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.

Replying to supplementaries during question hour, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Murli Manohar Joshi said that to reduce strain on the students, the Government had already suggested abolition of examinations till class 10 to the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to abolish tests upto class 10. It had suggested that examinations be held only in class 12.

He said the Government was aware of the problems faced by school children. These will be examined by a child commission and the process for constituing it has been completed, Joshi added.

Chairman of the CBSE Ashok Ganguly said that abolition of external examinations up to class X would be a welcome step as recomended in the National Curriculum Framework prepared by the NCERT. This will help reduce the stress and strain experienced by students on account of examinations, he added.

Principal of Air Force Bal Bharati School M. Titus also welcomed the proposed system. However, she maintained that there should be a system of continuous internal evaluation to assess the skills of students in various subjects.

Senior teacher of Mount Carmel School Annie John wondered how one would make a child face an external examination in Class 12 without having him sit for any examination before. The examination phobia the children face in class 12 will be magnified hundred-fold in case such a system started, she added.