Centre wants standard board assessment in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is among eight states where the Ministry of Education wants a standard assessment pattern (board exam) for students as per the mandate of National Education Policy(NEP)-2020. Like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Manipur and Telangana, Odisha has separate boards for secondary and higher secondary. While students write the matriculation (Class X) exam under Board of Secondary Education, the annual higher secondary examination is conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Examination (CHSE).

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Education analysed the Class X and XII results of the 2021-22 academic year for the state boards of Odisha and nine other states to understand the variations in results. The exercise was aimed at understanding the need for a standard assessment pattern for all 60 school boards across states.

In its report, the ministry pointed out there are large differences in the results (Class X and XII) which might be due to different patterns and approaches followed by the boards. In the case of Odisha, both BSE and CHSE have their own standard, syllabus and timelines for examinations and announcement of results. As per the assessment, only 25.9 per cent students in the state are scoring 80 per cent and above marks in the HSC exam while the percentage comes down to 23 per cent in higher secondary level.

Secretary of School Education under the ministry Sanjay Kumar said last month the issue of developing a common assessment system was discussed with all the states. “Since NEP recommends establishing equivalence of academic standards among learners across all school boards, an assessment of the existing system of school boards through examination results was done,” he said.

Based on the report, all states have been asked to work on the process of standardising assessment. The ministry has also suggested that state boards should converge their syllabus with that of the CBSE so that students have a level playing field for common exams such as JEE and NEET.

Officials of CHSE, however, said there is no immediate proposal or decision to standardise assessment for both Class X and XII students. “Contrary to the ministry’s observation that there is no level playing field for students in terms of standard and movement across the boards, no problems related to students’ performance has come to our notice so far. Students have been doing well at both the levels,” they said.

This year, while 96.4 per cent students cleared the HSC exam, 84.9 per cent cleared Plus II science and 81.1 commerce. Plus II Arts results are yet to be announced. Officials added that a standard assessment will be considered only when there is a policy decision on NEP in the state.