No assessment for government school students of classes I to V in Karnataka

With physical classes on campus for government school students of classes I to V yet to resume and the academic year drawing to a close, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education has decided to do away with assessments. The decision was taken after much deliberation in the backdrop of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the State.

Students in classes I to III who are part of the Nali Kali system have no examination, but will have regular assessments based on their learning outcomes. A senior department official said that for those in classes IV and V, the plan is to use written material or assignments that they may have submitted during the Vidyagama programme held between July and October 2020.

However, exams will be conducted for students of classes VI to IX as on-campus classes had been reintroduced for them in a phased manner in February. “We have decided to tweak the assessment model for students of classes VI to IX. Currently, they have four formative and two summative assessments. The modalities of how and when the assessment will be carried out will be announced next week,” said the senior official. Incidentally, last academic year, students of classes IV to IX did not have to give a summative assessment because of the pandemic.

Many private schools have already completed exams for students of classes I to IX. While the assessment of students of classes I to IX was held online, it was conducted in both offline and online modes for the students of higher grades. “Many students in government schools, however, do not have access to gadgets and stable Internet connection, which is why we have decided to do away with assessment for some classes,” the official added.

Tarun S., an autorickshaw driver whose son studies in class V at a government school in Rajajinagar, said, “I am glad they are not conducting any assessment for my son as he has not had any formal classes this year. But I am extremely worried that he will not be able to cope the next academic year as classes have been disrupted.”

Niranjan Aradhya V.P., Senior Fellow, Centre for Child and the Law, National Law School India University (NLSIU), said that rather than focussing on assessment this year, the government should plan an accelerated learning programme or a bridge course for students. “Before the next academic year begins in July, a plan needs to be chalked so that students are on a par with the age-appropriate learning level,” he said.