Let’s Reboot Exams

 

The crisis created by COVID-19 has affected the academic calendar adversely. Schools are disturbed due to the lockdown. College examinations and the terms/semesters are all interrupted. This year, the entrance examinations for admissions in Medical - NEET & engineering IIT – JEE are postponed. UGC created two task forces and the report has been submitted to the commission. By the time this article is published, the UGC would have discussed these reports. One is about the way the academic calendar needs to be rebooted to adjust this lockdown period and the other is about the online/digital mode of learning including the examinations. On this background, this is the right time to discuss the role of examinations in the educational process.

 

At present, the education system itself is exam-centric. One studies as there are examinations. According to Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal’s principles, one of the best things that happened to school education after independence was the provision in Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 which declared ‘no detention policy’ till the elementary school i.e. 8th standard. But 24 out of 29 states came together in 2016 and opposed this provision in RTE and forced the Central Government to amend it. The argument was – if there are no examinations & everybody is promoted to the next class, it dilutes the quality of education. Then all of a sudden in the 9th and subsequently, 10th standard public exam, the students are unprepared because they are not seriously taught anything till 8th. Students don’t learn anything and the teachers too, do not teach as there are no exams. They know that the students will go to the next class whether they have learnt anything or not. This shows how exam-centric the whole educational process has become.

 

But, are our exams qualitatively designed to evaluate and assess the students? One student gets 80% & another 75% marks. Can the teacher/ assessor/ evaluator giving these marks assure that the person with 80% marks is more intelligent than the one with 75%? or that one with more marks is a better student or has learned more? The answer is a big NO! It only represents that on the day of examination, out of questions asked, one could attempt 80% correctly & other 75%. It all depends on questions studied and those included in the exam paper on that day. It is almost a gamble! Still we depend on the marks for learning outcomes, IQ and judging the students. This needs original restructuring.

 

The opportunity presented by the COVID-19 shock to the world in all fields has forced a rethinking on present system of assessment in the process of education. There are two methods of assessment – evaluation & examination. Though considered synonymous, these are totally distinct. Evaluation is always self, self-assessment. As parents and immediate Guru in direct connect are part of the self, they have all that is required to evaluate. Thus, evaluation can be either by the individual, parents or immediate Guru. Evaluation is of attributes & general progress. It is in a way comparison of yesterday’s person with today’s. Evaluation can be achieved only through Aatmeeyata (intimacy). Unless there is oneness, evaluation is not possible. Evaluation is not a third-party, external, objective process. It cannot be distant or digital. Evaluation has to be personal, subjective and a very intimate process. On the other hand, examination is always third party. When the Guru declares the disciple fit to be examined, any subject expert in the world can do so in any way. Being open to examination indicates a certain level of achievement. Thus, examination is third party and evaluation is personal, individual, self.

 

In the modern process of education, exam pattern needs to be redesigned to imbibe both the ways of assessment. The RTE Act recommended ‘Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)’ at elementary & high school level. This was an affectionate process to be done by the class teacher evaluating students based on various attributes such as confidence, language proficiency, humility etc. Similarly, at the cognitive level various parameters were to be filled up in a format every week by the class teacher. That was one of the most effective provisions of the RTE Act. But due to ill-equipped teachers and their pessimistic attitude of not being prepared to abide by the rigorous process, the CCE that replaced examinations in 'no detention policy' failed.

 

An acceptable way could be 'selective retention' as in the Gurukula. Those not achived enough in mathematics in 7th standard will be retained for mathematics, but in other fields like history & languages, can go to 8th or even the 9th standard if proficient enough. In Gurukula, there are no classes hence no mass promotion. Promotion is based on proficiency. If in one field of knowledge, within one year disciple learns & practices to reach 4th stage, will get promoted to 5th stage in that field; whereas in other same student may take 4 years to learn the 1st stage. Can that kind of flexibility be applied to general education? A 'Selective Retention Policy' SRP – Proficiency & outcome-based promotion policy can be designed on the pattern of Choice Based Credit System to provide much needed flexibility to the whole educational process. The teacher & student would decide the pace & chronology learning various topics one by one. This one very important measure can be applied in modern examination immediately.

 

COVID-19 shock has given that break, a much-needed pause in the rat race, in which re-designing assessment process can be achieved to include evaluation as an important component. Teachers will have to be equipped qualitatively, oriented attitudinally & more so, backed legally, to exercise this power of evaluation without any external influences and Raga-Dvesha (likes & dislikes). Secondly, the examination pattern also needs to become more practical, applicable & life-related. IIT-Bombay has already decided last week that the final year students need not return to the campus anymore this year. Their examinations will be conducted via distance mode and it need not be descriptive question & answer type. They will be required to complete project, assignment or presentation and assessed by the experts online. Certificate & marks will be granted on that basis. This is innovative method of examination, give practical problems and let them solve. Case study is globally acclaimed method of assessment. If an engineer is able to solve every-day problems, then only education is proved. Nobody can claim to have gained complete knowledge. But a certain level of learning and the attitude & capacity to apply that knowledge in practical situations should be judged in examination.

 

Examinations should become strict, extremely powerful, more practical & life oriented. This kind of complete re-booting is necessary. In Gurukulas the examination is real, trust building exercise, as the Guru’s name depends on the Shishya (Disciple). Shishya once declared Snaataka (graduate) by Guru will bear Guru’s name all his life. Bhrigu’s pupil would be known as Bhargava and Bharadwaja’s pupil as Bhaaradwaja all his life. The brand value of Bhrigu or Bharadwaja depended on the performance of their shishyas. Hence, they never compromise. The examinations should be very stringent, practical and not just memory or information oriented. A platitude of choices of examinations should be provided. Various types of people are required in the society - theorisers as well as practical problem solvers. Hence both theory & practical examinations are must. Just as choice based credit system, a ‘Choice Based Examination System’ is needed as well. A food for thought & action for the innovative academicians and educators -- how this can be introduced immediately.

 

This COVID-19 season, thinking about re-booting life is in trend. This pause is seen doing wonders to environment, sustainability, human ability to be alone, to be with oneself. Similarly, academicians & those governing the education, should take a pause and think afresh. Just packaging & re-packaging old examinations in a new way, like scanning the answer sheets to be checked digitally & remotely, is not expected. Prakriti (Nature) wants us to rethink and reboot at the basic level. So, let us think creatively and re-boot our examination methods.