Pedagogy and assessment models

Launching of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)'s new assessment framework for Science, Mathematics and English is a significant step towards improving level of lessons on these three subjects from classes 6-10. The new framework will be critical in achieving global standards in assessment in schools envisaged in the New Education Policy, 2020. It will replace the existing rote learning model and will focus on assessing students based on their competencies in solving day-to-day problems. The prevailing assessment being centred around the rote learning model, memorising the alphabets, numbers, multiplication tables, definitions, theorems, formulas often replace thinking and reasoning among many students inhibiting comprehensive understanding of the lessons taught. To derive a conclusion that memorisation needs to be completely done away with will be naïve as memory forms an important brain function and complements understanding and knowledge building. The limitation of rote learning is it prompts the student to quickly recall the single method he or she memorises to arrive at the answer and does not encourage exploring multiple methods to find the answer. In the process, it trains the mind to depend more linear thinking and inhibit exploring multiple solutions to a problem encountered. Exploring multiple solutions is crucial in choosing and arriving at the most pragmatic one to solve a problem. The problem of climate change, for instance, requires exploring multiple approaches as it is caused by multiple factors. While deforestation is one of the many factors contributing to climate change and global warming, regrowing forests alone is not going to address the problem. Achieving sustainable development goals to reducing anthropogenic pressure on forest ecosystem is equally important. Multiple approaches and solutions to a problem require thinking and reasoning ability to better understand it. The CBSE has teamed up with British agencies to develop materials to train teachers in new styles of pedagogy and lesson plan preparations under the new framework. The CBSE plans to roll out the programme under the new framework to all 25,000 schools affiliated to the board by 2024 and therefore setting the question papers and assessment models will be done in a phased manner. The framework is the basis for a larger project exercise currently underway where 40 Assessment Designers, 180 Test Item writers and 360 Master Trainer Mentors are being trained in using this framework to create Model Question bank and collection of Ideal Lesson Plans. In the first phase selected Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and private schools across the country will participate in the programme. Union Budget for 2021 announcement includes strengthening 15,000 schools in the country having all components of NEP, 2020 and pedagogy adopted in these schools will be more experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centred, discussion-based, flexible, and will involve real life situations. Successful roll out of the programme can be ensued only if all teachers in targeted CBSE schools, teachings these three subjects are professionally trained to deliver on the new styles of pedagogy and assessment. Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country have been grappling with shortage of teachers. Using virtual classrooms to mitigate the problem of shortage of teachers is no solution and will render the new framework ineffective in schools without the required number of teachers. Apart from training of teachers, CBSE will also focus on equipping the schools with adequate science, maths, and language labs for interactive learning. Translating the success of a pilot project in public sector is a challenging task and is often derailed by lack of adequate funding and absence of meticulous planning in its execution in the entire state or at the national scale. The Centre and States increasing public investment in education to reach six per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or twenty per cent of public expenditure as laid down in the new education policy will ensure adequate funding of schools. The current expenditure of the Central government and States is around 4% of GDP roughly 10% of the total Government expenditure. As states are also implementing new education policy the CBSE move is expected to prompt the state education boards also to focus on new pedagogy and assessment models that gives priority to improving competencies of students and enhances thinking and reasoning ability. The schools affiliated to state boards lagging behind the CBSE schools in improving the assessment standards to the national or global level will be affecting the overall achievements of the country in school education. It will also impact the quality of higher education. It is a bleak situation with shortage of about 10 lakh teachers in the country while only one in six teachers are trained. Uniform ecosystem of school education for all schools affiliated to CBSE and state boards is critical to making education inclusive and accessible. Achieving uniform standard in pedagogy and assessment across the country is not only desirable but also necessary.