The J&K government has decided to implement the Student Assessment and Evaluation Scheme (SAES) starting with the upcoming academic session, which will require the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to develop uniform question papers for all government and government-recognized schools.
This decision represents a significant change that will put an end to the traditional examination system.
As per the NEP-2020 examination reforms, the purpose of the assessment will change from one that is summative and primarily tests rote memorization skills to one that is more regular and formative, is more competency-based, supports students’ learning and development, and tests higher-order skills like analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity.
The pupils would receive a multidimensional report card or a holistic progress card in place of a grade sheet, which would reflect each learner’s individuality and progress in detail. Software assisted by artificial intelligence would create a 360-degree perspective of a student’s progress and help them choose the best careers.
With the new curriculum and pedagogical structure of 5+3+3+4 adopted as per the NEP-2020 guidelines replacing the 10+2 pattern in school education, the latest assessment and evaluation scheme takes effect right from the foundational stage.
The ‘Foundational’ stage comprises the first five years of education, the next three are ‘Preparatory’ followed by another three years in the ‘Middle’ stage. The final four years included the grades 9th and 10th in Phase I and 11th and 12th in Phase II under the head ‘Secondary’ stage.
The contents of the evaluation mechanism at every level, including the standard operating procedures, are detailed in a 12-page document signed by Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary of Education who also serves as the Director of SCERT.
The foundational stage’s evaluation and assessment procedures are to be carried out by the heads of the schools using the models outlined in the school-based assessment (SBA) document by the NCERT/SCERT.
The evaluation and assessment of the Preparatory and Middle stages would also be conducted by the heads of the schools using assessment tools and model question papers prescribed by the SCERT.
The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has been given sole responsibility for the Secondary stage, which includes classes 9th through 12th, and will be administered in accordance with NEP-2020 criteria.
For the formative assessment, co-curricular component, and summative assessment, respectively, the marks shall be allocated as 30, 20, and 50 with a qualifying percentage of 33 per cent in each.
Recitation, art and craft, role-playing, painting, group songs, discussion, debates, health and hygiene, environmental awareness, and IT awareness are some of the activities that form the co-curricular component.
Students designated as potential learners will be promoted to the next class on a proviso basis with plans for extra courses for two to three months during the vacation or at the start of the next session, followed by another assessment of grade-appropriate competencies.
Only when the student is unable to meet the eligibility requirements in this reassessment tool may they be held back.
The evaluation shall be carried out in the Complex Head under the supervision of the head of the complex and overall supervision of DIET/SCERT.
