AP Decides to Have Common Exams from Class 6 to 10

From the next academic year, kids will have one exam and one syllabus across AP with 5 per cent weightage for marks in classes 8 and 9.

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: In a radical departure, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to introduce board examinations for classes 6 to 10 from the 2016-2017 academic year. Further, the government would also implement jumbling system for these classes from the next academic year.

No-Detention System to Go The Committee of Common Examinations, in its report last year, had stated that the implementation of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system, which had abolished detention of students between the sixth and ninth standards, has borne poor results. Various studies like the National Achievement Survey, the State Level Achievement Survey, the Annual School Educational Report by Pratham and the Annual Achievement Survey revealed that the performance of students was far from the expected level and students were being promoted without achieving the required competency.Taking a serious view of this, the government has decided to abolish no-detention system.

The uniform examination system will be followed for these classes in all government, local, aided and private recognised schools in the state. The decision was taken after the government had a brainstorming session on the recommendations of the Committee on Common Examinations constituted by it. The orders were issued to the Education Department two days ago, sources in the education department said.

The common exam will mean students across the state will have common question papers in all media of instruction. The State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) will set the question papers, as per a GO No. 20 issued by the School Education Department on March 28. According to the guidelines, there will be one curriculum and one exam system for all government and private schools in the state.

Common summative examinations for classes 6 to 10 have been felt necessary to ensure a common assessment platform and help enhance the quality of school education, Narasimha Rao said. Under the new system, students will have three exams in a year, with two internal exams carrying 20 per cent of the total credits and a final external exam.

Further, students will carry forward a weightage of 5 per cent marks from class 8 and 5 per cent from class 9 to class 10, starting with the 2017-18 academic year. The existing examination system for class  1 to 5 will continue.

Question Papers in 3 More Languages To make it easier for students having a mother tongue other than Telugu, the government has decided to print question papers in four more languages, taking the total to six. At present, question papers for SSC exams are printed in three languages: English, Telugu and Urdu. From the 2017-18, they will be printed in three more languages: Kannada, Tamil and Odiya.

All recognised schools in the state will have to follow a common academic calendar that will be prepared by SCERT in consultation with residential school societies, ashram schools and private unaided  schools. The District Common Examination Board (DCEB) will print and supply the question papers to the mandal resource centres (MRCs). Evaluation of answer scripts will be done in neighbouring mandals, following a jumbling procedure to prevent malpractices.

Teachers from both government and private schools will be roped in for evaluation. Ten per cent validation of answer scripts evaluated through external evaluators will be ensured by the DEO and the  results will be uploaded from the mandal level on www.cse.ap.gov.in under the supervision of a gazetted officer like the mandal education officer (MEO), and gazetted headmasters.

The respective school managements will develop strategies and action plans based on results for improving children's performance. Further, the state commissioner of school education will constitute

committees at the district and mandal levels and specify their responsibilities pertaining to setting, printing and supply of question papers, communication of exam schedules, uploading of marks on the website, evaluation of performance and conduct review meetings.

The Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF) has expressesd its reservations on the new system. APTF East Godavari general secretary Chandraiah said availability of basic infrastructure and adequate teachers are more important issues than a common public exam.

"Apart from teaching, teachers are being burdened with so many additional things. Rather the authorities must focus on how to retain students in government schools. The government is introducing such  systems to hide its inefficiency," he said said.