THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The draft Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF) has recommended major changes in the Plus-Two curriculum such as reducing the core subject combination to three from the four subjects at present, introduction of credit system for co-curricular achievements and compulsory six-month-long social service or Student Police Cadet (SPC) activities.
Higher Secondary students study six subjects, including four allied subjects chosen from as many as 53 subject combinations. According to KCF, scaling down the core subjects from four to three has been mooted taking into account the “workload of students in classes 11 and 12”.
“While three subjects can be made compulsory, the fourth subject can be optional. Avenues should be created for students to study more optional subjects,” the KCF says. Reducing core subjects from four to three has been a long-pending demand of Left-affiliated think tanks.
In a bid to instill civic sense in higher secondary students, compulsory activities related to social service, SPC, or voluntary service for at least six months should be introduced, the KCF has proposed. It has also recommended that activities related to National Service Scheme (NSS), SPC, Scouts and Guides should be considered as credits in the respective domains.
The KCF draft has proposed avenues for ‘deep study’ in vocational courses and has mooted re-arrangement of subjects in Higher Secondary into language subjects, core subjects and vocational subjects.
The curriculum should include emerging job sectors. Students should be equipped to become self-employed and contribute towards the development of society as soon as they pass Plus II.
SEMESTER SYSTEM
The draft has also recommended continuous evaluation in higher secondary section to not only assess knowledge but also vocational interests, skills, social values, and attitudes. A semester system has been mooted for Classes 11 and 12 (and also Class 10) to help reduce the gap between learning and examinations. The KCF draft also proposes that instead of one examination, opportunity should be given to appear for more than one examination and the best performance should be used for evaluation.
EVALUATION METHODS MOOTED