With a few days to go for the classes to begin, teachers appear to be in the dark about the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) system for the class 10 students this year.
This is the first academic year when the CCE will be applied to class 10 students. Though new textbooks are expected to arrive soon, the teachers are saying they have not received any instruction or orientation about how they should evaluate students under the CCE. Two years ago the CCE was introduced for classes 1 to 8. Under this system, students were not only evaluated in terms of their academic performance but also, among others, in terms of their participation in co-curricular activities, their behaviour and punctuality. Last year, this evaluation was extended to class 9.
Change in patternThe Education Department is embarking on a departure from the way the assessment was being made hitherto which further warrants issuance of guidelines. Till now, teachers assessed students giving 60 per cent weightage for theory and 40 per cent for formative assessment (that involves assessing the student’s behaviour, his involvement in co-curricular activities, sports and other activities).
Commissioner of Public Instruction Mohammed Mohsin recently said 80 per cent weightage would be given for theory, 20 per cent marks for the rest.
A headmaster of a secondary school on the outskirts of the city said, “If it is 80-20 ratio of assessment, then it will be too constrained form of implementing CCE,” he said. Principal of an aided secondary school, who did not like to be named, said no instruction has so far been issued regarding the evaluation. “We have been kept in the dark. No orientation has been given to teachers,” he said. He said that there had been delay in issuance of textbooks, which has been revised this time. “The students continue to wait for new textbooks,” he said. H. Kumaraswamy, coordinator of CCE system in the district, said, “There is no justification for delay in notifying assessment (guidelines). But this should not prevent teachers from continuing with the practice they have followed so far.”
Teachers should have better interaction with parents and dynamically incorporate their views in holistic evaluation of the child.
Sadanand Poonja from the office of the Deputy Director of Public Instruction, who is looking after SSLC examination, said circular regarding CCE for class 10 students was yet to be issued and it would be sent out by the end of May. The new textbooks were framed in accordance to National Curriculum Framework. About 12,000 class 10 students will be under CCE this year.
