• UGI USER
  • Jan 19, 2024
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THE EXAMINATION SYSTEM EVALUATION

Syllabus:

  • GS 2: Education ,Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, and Education.

Why in the News?

  • Media reports highlight scandals that mar universities and school boards during examination seasons.

Focus : Credibility of Examinations

  • Credibility ties directly to the standard of certificates issued.
  • Lack of credibility affects educational standards, shaping learning based on examination patterns, often favouring memorization.
Source: Researchgate

Constitutional Provisions on Education:

  • Fundamental Right : 
  • Article 21 (A) : Right To Compulsory Education.
  • Directive Principles of State Policy:
  • Article 41: Ensures the right to work, education, and public assistance in certain cases.
  • Article 45: Provides for free and compulsory education for children.
  • Article 46: Ensures early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years.
  • Fundamental Duties:
  • Article 51A: Mandates parents or guardians to provide opportunities for education to their children or wards between the ages of six and fourteen years.
Overview:

Evolution of Modern Education System in India

1.   East India Company Era (1600s-1858):

·     Vernacular schools focused on local languages.

·     Education mainly for the elite, emphasizing traditional knowledge.

2.   British Period (1858-1947):

·     Wood’s Despatch (1854): Laid the foundation for a systematic education system.

·     Indian Education Act (1901): Shifted control to provinces.

3.   Post-Independence (1947 onward):

·     Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (2000): Aimed at universal elementary education.

·     Right to Education Act (2009): Ensured free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14.

4.  Current Era:

·    National Education Policy (2020): Focused on holistic learning, skill development, and flexibility.

·    Emphasis on digital learning, vocational training, and a more inclusive approach

Challenges in the Education System:

Lack of Resource:

  • As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, the proportion of total expenditure allocated to education in the budget has decreased from 10.4% to 9.5% over the last seven years.

Inconsistencies in Examination Systems:

  • Summative examinations lack consistency over time and comparability across institutions.
  • Concerns arise about examinations primarily testing memory, promoting rote learning, and failing to assess higher-order thinking skills.

 Flaws in Examination Papers and Evaluation:

  • Instances of flawed question papers with language errors, conceptual mistakes, and irrelevant questions.
  • Indiscriminate evaluation of answer scripts, leading to grades that don’t reflect true learning achievements.

Decentralized System Challenges:

  • India has over 1,100 universities, 50,000 affiliated colleges, and 60 school boards.
  • Secrecy and standardization are seen as essential, but unchecked secrecy can lead to scandals, and excessive standardization hampers innovation.

Employability Concerns:

  • Employers often rely on their assessments rather than institutional certifications.
  • Rise of a coaching market for competitive examinations and skill development due to institutional shortcomings.

Assessment Quality and Oversight:

  • Emphasis on outcome-based learning in regulations, but inadequate oversight allows deviations.
  • Lack of alignment between syllabi, teaching, and imparting higher-order thinking skills.

Secrecy and Standardization Challenges:

  • The secrecy involved in the examination process facilitates the
  • The move towards academic autonomy lacks oversight, and standardization is compromised.
Source: India Briefing
Government Initiatives :

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA):

o    A flagship program for universalizing elementary education across India.

o    Aims at providing quality education to all children aged 6-14 years.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Provides free, nutritious meals to school children to improve attendance and nutrition levels.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA):Focuses on improving secondary education with a goal to increase enrollment and retention.

National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS):Provides scholarships to economically weaker students to encourage them to continue education.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP): An online portal for various scholarships to students at different levels.

Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram: Aims to provide financial support for students pursuing higher education through education loans and scholarships.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan: Integrates various school education schemes to ensure holistic development of students.

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS):Encourages industries to engage apprentices and provides apprenticeship training.

Udaan Scheme: Aims at addressing the low enrollment of girl students in prestigious engineering institutions.

 
Source: ToI

Way Forward:

  • Specify Minimum Learning Standards:
  • Define minimum learning outcomes to guide educational institutions.
  • Encourage various approaches to achieve these standards.
  • Continuous Assessment and Transparency:
  • Implement continuous assessment with teacher involvement.
  • Introduce transparency in summative assessments with checks and balances.
  • Leverage Technology:
  • Standardize question paper setting and evaluation using technology.
  • Utilize software solutions for centralized and distributed assessments.
  • Codify Negligence and Fraud:
  • Establish codes addressing negligence, fraud, and academic inadequacies.
  • Link corrective measures and punishments to these codes.
  • External Audit:
  • Conduct external audits of assessment systems in universities and school boards.
  • Evaluate processes based on established principles and benchmarks to ensure reliability and consistency.
  • Secrecy and standardization:
  • Secrecy and standardization, essential in good examination boards, need careful balancing to prevent scandals and hinder experimentation.
  • Transparency and Credibility:
  • Release audit reports regularly, ensuring transparency in the examination process.
  • Grade examination boards on transparency, reliability, and consistency.

Striking a balance between secrecy and transparency is crucial for a credible examination system.

The focus should be on ensuring minimum standards, continuous assessment, leveraging technology, and conducting external audits to enhance transparency and credibility in the education system.

 

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-need-to-examine-the-examination-system/article67710727.ece/amp/

Mains Practice Question:

Despite constitutional mandates and numerous government initiatives, India’s education system struggles with unreliable examinations plagued by scandals. Critically analyze the key challenges in ensuring the credibility of examination