HOW CBSE’S GRADING SYSTEM WILL WORK

THE NEW ORDER

With board exams being made optional from the academic year 2010-11, a new system of evaluation—Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)—based on grades has been approved. It comprises formative and summative assessment of the student to be done over two terms—first and second— during the year-long academic calendar

Formative Assessment To evaluate and grade class work, homework, assignment and project work

1 There will be two evaluations each in the first and second terms

2 Each evaluation will carry 10 marks apiece

Summative Assessment Based on the term-end examination

1 There will be one term-end exam for each term

2 The first term-end exam will carry 20 marks

3 The second term-end exam will carry 40 marks

EVALUATION
Students of class IX and X will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system. Each grade, given on the basis of both formative and summative assessments, will correspond to a range of marks as indicated below:

It's official, CBSE Class 10 exams become optional

New Delhi, Aug 31

From the current academic year, the tens of thousands of students studying in Class 10 need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams -- the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class 10 examination has been made optional.

Making this announcement here late Monday evening, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters: "The CBSE Class 10 exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year."

“I have said this earlier too," Sibal said after the 56th meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) here, attended by education ministers and officials from states.

He added that the examination would give way to a grading system and students would be evaluated throughout the year.

HRD ministry officials believe this move would help relieve the stress on thousands of students and their families.

Officials said all schools, which have Class 11 and 12, need not conduct the Class 10 exams, but schools with classes up to standard 10 may conduct the board examination.

Under the grading system, students would be given grades like A+, A, B, C, D and E.

Sibal said many state governments were happy about the new system, but they need to evolve a consensus in their respective state assemblies to implement it in their secondary education boards.

The grading system is for the CBSE now and not for the state boards, Sibal said

Let’s make education a non-political agenda, says Sibal

NEW DELHI - The government Monday announced a number of educational reforms ranging from making the Class 10 examination optional to setting up a central madrassa board and an educational tribunal to handle educational malpractices and urged state governments to make education “a non-political agenda”.

“If we can make educational a non-political agenda, we can not only change the future of students but also change the country, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after a Central Advisory Board on Education meeting attended by state education ministers.

“We are with your reform process. Whether it is on elementary education, higher education, curriculum change, Right to Education, making Class 10 exams optional or introducing grading system,” Sibal said to the state governments.

“All members supported us,” he claimed.

The minister said from the current academic year, the tens of thousands of students studying in Class 10 need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams - the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 examination has been made optional.

“The CBSE Class 10 exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year.”

Officials said all schools, which have Class 11 and 12, need not conduct the Class 10 exams, but schools with classes up to standard 10 may conduct the board examination. Under the grading system, students would be given grades like A+, A, B, C, D and E.

Sibal, however, reiterated that he is not proposing state education boards to make Class 10 exams optional.

The minister also announced that vice-chancellors of universities in the country would be appointed by a collegium headed by an eminent person equivalent to a Nobel laureate, and not the central or state government.

“The collegium will consist of 30 to 40 people headed by an eminent personality, lets say a Nobel laureate. They will decide whom to appoint. They will select and inform the government and if the government disagrees, then it will again go back to the collegium, he added.

On higher education, he said his ministry is in favour of an overall body to work on the policy framework of education. But a regulatory body will also be there, which will be separate from this body.

Sibal said there is need for bringing in legislation to deal with educational malpractices, and unfair capitation fees.

“We will also set up an education tribunal. In some states it will work on two levels - state and central level. Cases related to malpractices will go to this tribunal. Students will not have to go to a court and the cases can be solved fast, he added. “There will be a quick remedy through the tribunal.”

The HRD minister said that during deliberation with state governments it was perceived that teacher training is a major issue. “We need some two million trained teachers in the next few years. They should be competent.”

Talking about setting up a central madrassa board, he said: It will be an executive body. It will not interfere with the theological teachings and there is no contention here. The body will consist of both clerics and educationists.”

Kapil Sibal calls upon states for partnership in education reforms

New Delhi: Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for HRD has called upon the states for support and partnership for bringing in educational reforms in the country.

He was speaking during the inaugural session of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) Meeting here today.

The Minister underlined expansion, inclusion and excellence as the three underlying principles for educational reforms. Sibal particularly called for collaboration from State Governments with regard to the Right to Education (RTE).

He pointed out that Rs.1,50,000/- crore would be required for implementing the RTE in the country. It is perceived that there will be a shortfall of Rs.60,000/- crore as regards this massive exercise, which will have to be addressed he said.

Sibal pointed out that in order to provide equal opportunity to all students trying for professional courses, a core curriculum in Maths and Science needs to be formulated. He informed the Members of the Meeting that in a recent Meeting, COBSE has endorsed the framing of this core curriculum in Maths and Science and a Committee of COBSE has been constituted to draft the outlines of this curriculum in two months.

Sibal emphasized that diversity in education was to be respected and there was no intent of having a single board in the country.

With regard to higher education Sibal, in his address, indicated the reforms being mooted in this sector. He said that his Ministry was in the process of formulating the structure for an overarching body for higher education that would be responsible for higher education policy.

He said that some of the proposals for higher education included complete autonomy to universities for devising courses, cross fertilization of courses, research oriented universities etc. He also said that he was open to the idea of Indian universities collaborating with foreign universities or with the corporate sector.

He pointed out that the corporate sector was showing increasing interest ineducation as they require trained manpower.

The HRD Minister stated that he is in the process of dialogue for the creation of a Central Madrasa Board. He clarified that he did not want to interfere at all with religious education. But he emphasized that he wanted to empower minorities with equivalence of Board exams so that they could move into the university system and be eligible for jobs.

He also underlined commitment towards the Schedule Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, the differently abled, and other disadvantaged sections for which the same opportunity as the rest of the children of the country must be provided.

Gujarat academy teaches Sanskrit Bollywood-style

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

‘Bhavatah samipe kim asti?
Mam samipe mata asti...’

Ahmedabad: That’s the mother of all dialogues Bollywood has ever produced. And if you still couldn’t get it, here is another clue — it’s Hindi cinema’s most explosive face-off, the fight between the two top stars of the 70s — Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor — over the quintessential Mother.

That’s the famous ‘tumhare pass kya hai? Mere pas ma hai ...’ dialogue from ‘Deewar’, now part of a unique experiment at Ahmedabad-based Eklavya Sanskrit Academy to popularise Sanskrit. One of the steps is to translate popular Hindi film dialogues into Sanskrit to draw the youth to the ancient language.

‘‘There is a notion that Sanskrit neither has any future nor market value. But, the language has immense potential. Even the advertising world quotes Sanskrit shlokas and many manuscripts hold great knowledge. ‘‘We want to create awareness about Sanskrit and promote research,’’ says Mihir Upadhyay, founder member of Eklavya Sansakrit Academy.

The academy also runs a monthly magazine in Sanskrit with a circulation of 500 copies. The academy has 190 members who gather once in a month.

‘‘Films are extremely popular in India and have a wide reach among the masses. Catchy dialogues, which remain etched in people’s memories and also recited often, would help popularise the language as it would cause curiosity,’’ says Upadhyay.

State model schools say no to classes in English

Hemali Chhapia I TNN

Mumbai: This could well be India’s version of the ‘Speak Good English’ movement that was launched by the Singapore government at the turn of this century. Finally picking up the grammar of what most people want, states across India will conduct classes in English in the 6,000 model schools that will start lectures from 2010. Maharashtra, however, will be an exception, with the state keen to promote Marathi instead.

Referring to the notes sent by states for the upcoming Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) meeting, Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal told this paper, “Most states want to impart education in these schools in English.’’ Maharashtra, however, refuses to accept change. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, state school education minister, said that model schools in the state will conduct classes in Marathi.

While permitting each state to decide the medium of instruction, the Centre, in a note circulated to state governments, had said that “special emphasis must be given to science, math and English’’ in the model schools. Though Sibal refused to comment on Maharashtra’s plan, he added, “What language a school should teach must be decided by the parent and the child; that cannot be decided by a government diktat.’’

HRD ministry source said, Maharashtra has not yet submitted its plan regarding the model schools to the Centre and has been asked to do so by September 15. Data collated by the government’s National University of Educational Planning and Administration has noted that the student population in Marathi-medium schools has declined from 119.61 lakh to 117.95 lakh, whereas enrolment in English-medium schools has gone up from 11.91 lakh to 15.02 lakh over one year.

The trend is more pronounced in the state’s capital. If there are 4.31 lakh students in Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai, there are currently over a lakh more—5.57 lakh children—in the city’s English-medium schools. Despite that, Vikhe-Patil said the model schools that will come up in the state will teach English as a subject, but the medium of instruction will be Marathi.

Model schools were planned as a means of reviving excellence in public schooling. Punjab, Himachal, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, UP and J&K, Haryana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, MP, Meghalaya, Andhra, Tripura and Bihar have so far sent their proposals to the Centre. Most have informed the Centre that they would instruct students in English.

ON THE CARDS

In November 2008, the UPA government announced the idea of setting up 6,000 model schools (of which 2,500 will be set up on Public Private Partnership basis) that are to act as examples for other schools in the area. Apart from Sikkim, Goa, Delhi, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh and Daman and Diu, all states that have educationally backward areas will have one model school per block. By the HRD ministry’s estimates, each of the new model schools will require around Rs 3 crore to be set up, apart from recurring expenditure for maintenance

Model schools will have adequate Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and internet connectivity

The teacher-pupil ratio should not exceed 1:25 and the classrooms must be spacious enough to accommodate at least 30 students.

These schools will be provided with arts and music teachers besides subject specific teachers as per the usual norms. These schools will also create facilities for activities emphasizing Indian heritage, arts and craft
The school curriculum should include the material/items that inculcate leadership qualities, team spirit, participation abilities, development of soft skills and ability to deal with real life situations. Health education and health check up will be introduced in these schools.

Necessary infrastructure for sports, recreation and out door activities will be provided. Facilities like play ground, gardens, auditorium etc. will be present in model schools

CLASS OF SHAME

Girl with 92% marks in Class XII fails to get into LSR, kills herselfTIMES NEWS NETWORK

Gurgaon: Kritika Khanna, who passed out of Shri Ram School in Gurgaon this year with 92% in Class XII boards, flung herself to death from her 11th floor balcony apparently because she failed to get admission in Lady Shriram College. “Her family members did not divulge much, but said she was suffering from depression and had withdrawn,’’ said a police officer.

Police said Kritika was in the balcony of their apartment in DLF City’s Regency Park conversing with her mother, a teacher in Shri Ram School, and her brother. “All of a sudden, the girl took the deadly plunge from the railing. It took a while for her family to realize what happened,’’ said Jagdish Prasad, SHO Sector-29 police station. Shri Ram School officials were not available for comment. Peer pressure seemed to be the main reason behind her suicide, he said. “Her parents have told us while most of her friends got admission in LSR, she had to get into Jesus and Mary College in psychology honours. This led to her taking the extreme step,’’ Prasad added. The police found no suicide note. Kritika’s body was handed over to her family on Saturday after a post-mortem was conducted.

Kritika’s death sent alarm bells ringingin the light of increased reports of students going into depression for failing to get a college of their choice. Said clinical psychologist Dr Jayanti Dutta of Delhi University, “This is on the rise. We have rigid parameters and if we take alternative options in life we are not appreciated by the peer group. We are judged by parameters such as percentage and marks, not on our intelligence,’’ she said.

Schoolowner rapes Jaipur teen, Haryana teacher strips 9-yr-old
Jaipur/Faridabad: Two girls faced harrowing time at their schools with one being raped by the schoolowner and another stripped off her shirt by her teacher for not paying tuition fee. In Jaipur, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the owner of her school, Ramesh Sain, at the school’s office on Friday. Angry locals pelted stones and gheraoed the police station to protest against the incident. The accused has been arrested.

In Faridabad on the outskirts of Delhi a Class III student was stripped off her top by her class teacher for not paying her tuition fee despite the fact that the child, a daughter of an autorickshaw driver, was entitled to full fee concession. The teacher has been detained. “I was forced to take off my Tshirt. When my teacher caught hold of my skirt, I told her not to do that. When I asked why she was doing it, she said it was the principal’s order. Then I was asked to stand half naked for a long time and when I tried to cover myself, she asked me to stand straight,’’ the nine-year-old victim said.

The victim’s mother said she has a document to prove that her daughter is exempted from paying fees. Taking note of the incident, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR) has said stern action will be taken against the teacher if she is found guilty. “Not only the teacher, the school management and authorities are equally responsible,’’ Sandhya Bajaj, NCPR member, said.

The police have booked the two teachers of Model School in Faridabad allegedly involved in the incident. A case has been registered against the teachers, identified as Lalita and Nitu, under section 354 (assault on woman with the intention to outrage her modesty) and under the SC/ST Act, police sources said. AGENCIES