The Delhi government launched new assessment guidelines on Friday under which students of classes 3-8 will be assessed for Happiness and Deshbhakti curricula, while students of Class 9 and Class 11 will be assessed for Deshbhakti and Entrepreneurship Mindset curricula.
The new guidelines introduce a major change in the flagship offering of the Delhi government schools, given how at the launch of these mindset curricula the government had said that it would not conduct any evaluation or examination for these programmes.
Impact on behaviour
On Friday the government said students will now be assessed, along with other scholastic subjects, for the impact that mindset curricula have had on their behaviour.
“This will be a supplement to the evaluation norms that already exist and are based on the student's co-curricular and academic activity,” the government said.
In a statement announcing the new assessment guidelines, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said with the introduction of the new assessment guidelines, students will not be evaluated on the basis of their curricular knowledge, but rather on their ability to apply their understanding in a variety of real-life situations.
“The new assessment standards will also motivate the students to contribute to society’s advancement. In order to prepare students for real-world challenges, in a world driven by information and technology, and to maximise their innate potential, schools must prioritise competency-based learning,” Mr. Sisodia said.
Holistic education
Introduced in July 2018, the Happiness Curriculum attempts to build emotional resilience in children in a holistic manner.
Its main objective is to develop the skills of critical thinking and inquiry in children while also empowering them to express themselves independently and creatively.
The Deshbhakti Curriculum launched in September 2021 seeks to inculcate among the students a sense of love and pride for the country.
Every student is made aware of their responsibilities and duties towards the nation. The Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum was launched in July 2019 to equip students to take charge of their career paths and become job providers instead of job seekers.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Education portfolio, said that as the curricula have been in use for some time, it is appropriate to include them in the assessment process at this time.
He added that no weightage of marks obtained will be calculated for the promotion of a student to the next higher class.
No rote-learning
Giving details of the assessment, Mr. Sisodia said that question papers will be set in a manner that allows the students to answer questions based on the application of these concepts in real-life/ unfamiliar situations.
“This new process of assessment will further strengthen critical thinking and analytical abilities of the students. It will also help them get rid of the need for rote learning, which places excessive stress on the students during their examinations,” Mr. Sisoida said.
