PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), NCERT's standard-setting body, has suggested that both exams and ongoing classwork from Classes 9, 10, and 11 should be considered when calculating final marks at the end of Class 12, according to a report by the Indian Express.
What Are The Proposals?
One key recommendation is to incorporate performance data from Classes 9, 10, and 11 into the final Class 12 report card. The proposed weights are as follows: 15% for Class 9, 20% for Class 10, 25% for Class 11, and 40% for Class 12.
According to the PARAKH report, evaluation should combine formative assessments (such as continuous classroom assessments, holistic progress cards, group discussions, and projects) with summative assessments (term-end examinations).
The report specifies that in Class 9, 70% of the final score should come from formative assessments and 30% from summative assessments. In Class 10, the final score will be evenly split between 50% formative and 50% summative assessments. For Class 11, the weight will be 40% formative and 60% summative assessments. In Class 12, formative assessments will contribute 30% to the final score, while 70% will be based on summative assessments, as per Indian Express.
What About CUET Or NEET Exams?
Indrani Bhaduri, CEO and head of PARAKH, highlighted that achieving standardisation across educational boards could simplify student mobility and raise questions about the necessity of entrance exams like CUET and NEET, reported The Times Of India.
"If the boards are similar and comparable, that would make mobility easy. Also, if our boards are comparable, then why have CUET or NEET? Can we do away with these exams? That is the next question after we achieve some standardization. Making the boards more relevant and making their results matter was also something that the PARAKH team had in mind while drawing up its recommendations," She said.
What Is PARAKH?
PARAKH was established as an independent unit within NCERT through Notification No. 1-4/2012-EC/101-164, dated February 8, 2023. The center was created to set norms, standards, and guidelines for student assessment and to carry out tasks specified in Para 4.4.1 of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. PARAKH focuses on four key areas: Capacity Development in Competency-Based Assessment, Large-Scale Achievement Surveys, Equivalence of School Boards, and the development of Holistic Progress Cards for the Foundational, Preparational, Middle, and Secondary Stages.
Recently, PARAKH has devised a Holistic Progress Card (HPC), moving away from the traditional method of assessment in schools, where the primary focus has been on year-end examinations.