BENGALURU: The open-book system, proposed by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education at the primary education level, has received much criticism from experts and other stakeholders, including parents. On Sunday, while addressing a public event at Chamarajnagar, Primary and Secondary Education Minister N Mahesh announced the open-book system proposed by the department. Just a day after the announcement, it received objections.
Speaking about it, Dr VP Niranjanaradhya, primary education expert, said, “The process of learning is to provide knowledge and not to prepare kids for examinations. If the examination is the main goal of education, then the very purpose of education will be diluted.”
There is also a National Education Policy before the Union government, which is pending for approval, and the state has to frame a policy on those lines. "Moreover, the open-book system is not for primary level. It is applied at higher education level. At the primary level, it is cognitive learning and memorisation. Whichever system has been introduced by the government with the purpose of the examination is not acceptable,” said Niranjanaradhya.
According to experts, no country offers open-book examination at primary/lower level. Open-book system is there at few countries only at a higher level and even at that level, there are differences, they say.
In an official communication, Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka said such system will be harmful to the learning process. “Every new minister or bureaucrat recommend their views without any research or without taking opinion from stakeholders. Introduction of systems like open-book exam will cause the non-competitive evolution of brains and children should not be used for government’s experiments. We condemn such a move,” it said.
What Officials say:
Top officials of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education said the system was proposed in the New Education Policy for the state, which is under consideration. Reacting to it, Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Secretary to Primary and Secondary Education Department said, “Such reforms are being proposed in the new education policy of the state.”
What is open-book system?
Under this system, students are allowed to refer to their class notes, textbooks, and other approved material while answering questions during examinations. Currently, students appear for exams without any piece of paper, electronic gadgets or reference materials inside the exam hall. But in an open-book system, students are allowed to use reference materials and books.