CHENNAI: In a first, the Tamil Nadu school education department has started using common question papers in first-term exams for students of Classes 4 and 5 that commenced across the State on Monday.
According to officials, the system was introduced to ensure uniformity in assessing learning outcomes in students. Usually, question papers are prepared only at the school level for primary classes, teachers said. A section of teachers said common question papers may not suit elementary schoolchildren.
As the National Education Policy, which is opposed by the State government, envisages common board exams for Classes 3, 5 and 8, some teachers said the move may be line with the national policy. “All three term exams have so far been conducted only with question papers prepared at school level.
When students are coming to schools after a two-year gap due to the Covid-19 lockdown, preparation of question papers at school level will help teachers assess children better,” said S Mayil, State general secretary, Tamil Nadu Primary Teachers’ Federation.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in a circular to Chief Educational Officers had earlier said the State-wide question papers will be sent to all districts in CD format and answers would be sent to schools after the exams are over.
‘State-level exam will create fear among kids in primary classes’
“The intention that learning among students should be uniform is right. However, it can’t be done by conducting a Statelevel exam for primary classes as it will create fear of exams among children. If there is an attempt to introduce public exams in primary classes, our association will strongly oppose it.
The Statewide assessment will also put differently-abled students at a disadvantage,” said Doss, General Secretary, Elementary School Teachers’ Association. Officials of the school education department, however, said that this is not an attempt to introduce provisions of National Education Policy and they have addressed the concerns of the primary teachers regarding collecting question papers.
“There is a plan to extend the ‘Ennum Ezhuthum’ scheme to Classes 4 and 5 and this might be considered as a baseline survey,” an official said. While we are trying various methods to attain sustainable development goals with respect to education, including training of teachers, nothing has been implemented so far, said another official.
Meanwhile, G Ramakrishnan, Politburo Member of the CPM, an ally of the ruling DMK, said there is no need to change the existing practice. “We welcome the State government’s move to form a committee to create a state education policy. However, when a centralised question paper is introduced, it naturally creates doubts in the minds of the people,” he said.
‘Not an attempt to introduce NEP provisions’
Officials of the school education department said the move is not an attempt to introduce provisions of National Education Policy and they have addressed the concerns