NEW DELHI: From the next academic year, board examinations for classes 10 and 12 will be held twice a year and students can retain the higher score, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday as he launched the new curriculum framework for schools in sync with the National Education Policy 2020.
Under the new framework, students in classes 9 and 10 will study three languages, of which two will be Indian, while class 11 and 12 students will study two languages including one Indian. Currently, class 9 and 10 students have to study two mandatory languages while class 11 and 12 students have only one.
Students will now have more combinations of subjects while choosing their stream. Another highlight of the framework is the reduced content load in each subject to make space for critical thinking and holistic learning.
Pradhan said India has to live up to global expectations and has to “develop a technology-driven educational system that meets expectations of the world’s community alongside India”. Preparations to develop the textbooks based on the new curriculum for the 2024 academic session are underway, he added.
While releasing NCF, prepared by the national steering committee, headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, Pradhan said that textbooks for classes 3-12 will be aligned with 21st-century requirements, making them both rooted and futuristic.
He highlighted the framework's role in shaping a holistic, contemporary, and Indian-rooted educational landscape.
The document highlighted that board examinations for Grades 10 and 12 will be substantially reformed. Students will also have the flexibility to choose their subjects in grades 11 and 12. There will be no restriction based on the stream selected by the student.
These will be made ‘easier’ with the primary aim of assessing understanding and achievement of competencies rather than months of coaching and memorisation.
It added that to further eliminate the ‘high stakes’ aspect of Board examinations, all students will be allowed to take the boards on at least two occasions during any given school year, with only the best score being retained.
“In the long term, being able to take a subject Board examination immediately after the ‘school term’ (i.e., ‘semester-wise’ or ‘on-demand’ Board examinations) will be made available,” the document added.
“All Board examinations must move towards becoming ‘easier’ without any compromise on assessing genuine learning, by testing basic concepts and Competencies across subjects, rather than rote learning,” the document said.
However, board exams will be conducted for seven subjects, including languages, while for art education, physical education and well-being, and vocational education the mode of assessment will be an internal exam with an external examiner, the document said. The subjects have been increased as per the new NCF.
Now, the mandatory subjects will be seven for classes 9-10, and six for classes 11-12. Earlier, students from 9 to 12 had five subjects with an option of adding one additional subject.
It also said that there should be no hard separations between arts and sciences, curricular and extracurricular activities, and vocational and academic streams.
To give a holistic education to students, art and physical education would be treated as part of the main curriculum and not just as ‘co-curricular’ or ‘extra-curricular’ activities, it said. The document laid major emphasis on Indian languages.
“The curriculum aims at developing linguistic proficiency for academic use in three languages by age 15 (Grade 10). At least two out of these three languages should be languages native to India. At least one language native to India will be studied at the ‘literature level.’ At least one language native to India will be offered as an option for the medium of instruction to all students up to Grade 12,” the document added.
“Language Education in all these languages would not just aim for oracy and literacy. Students should develop effective communication, discussion, and writing skills in these languages along with capacities for literary appreciation and creative use of language,” it said.
The Ministry will also put an end to the age-old practices of covering textbooks. It will also optimise the cost of textbooks.
It also said that while the entire Social Science curriculum would be strongly rooted in India from the local to the national level, students would also learn and understand the significant contributions of India to the concepts and methods in the disciplines within Social Science from ancient to modern times.
The ministry said that for Board papers, test developers and evaluators will have to go through university-certified courses before taking up this task.
The document said the overarching objective of the NCF is to help positively transform the school education system of India, through positive changes in the curriculum including pedagogy.
As recommended by NEP 2020, the NCF is strongly rooted in India’s context, Indian thought, and Indian Knowledge and Knowledge Systems, the document said.