Concerns of Parents and Students on implementation of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation Formative and Summative Assessments.

The CBSE had initiated the scheme of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation

(CCE) and Grading System at secondary stage in all schools affiliated to it from the

session 2009-10 in Class IX. By and large the scheme has been accepted and

implemented whole heartedly by the schools. However as part of the formal and

informal feedback from the parents, students, principals and teachers a few concerns

have been raised by a few stakeholders which are recorded below: 

1.        Too many tests, assignments, projects, homework and review tests (in some

schools as many as seven review tests per week) are being taken. 

2.        The projects are being given to students (to be done at home) which in most

cases lead to no real learning as they are either done by siblings/parents or

conveniently outsourced to entrepreneurs who have set up shop.

3.        The stress on students is increasing due to minute microscopic examination of

behaviour which also makes students behave artificially. 

4.        No real time is being provided to students to play or participate in Co-Scholastic

activities

5.        There is an element of subjectivity in assessing skills especially the co-

scholastic skills. 

6.        Some schools have no Parent Teacher Meeting at all or where it is convened, it

remains a few and far between event.

Keeping the above facts in mind, the Board once again would like to clarify and

reinforce the following points.

 The Board vide its circular no 01, 2010 had specifically stated that             "the tasks

which relate to projects and activities can be done in groups as in-class and

school activities and not become an extension of work to be done by

siblings or parents".

 Further to it, the Board in its circular no.  36, 2010 has given a background to the

need of involving and integrating various formative tasks as part of the Formative

Assessment.

The Board has also come to know that a section of teachers feel that they are required

to put in more work in the new paradigm by way of preparing their lesson plans,

designing formative activities and evolving additional teaching-learning materials.  It

augurs well for the teaching community that it is now beginning to move away from the

text-book oriented teaching to more creative ways of involving students in the learning

process.  Of course, teachers will have to put in greater effort to improve their teaching

on the basis of regular feedback and diagnosis followed by remedial instruction.  Every

class is a new experience, unique in its own way and hence repetitive and mechanical

transaction has no place in the emerging classroom.  While teachers may find the

additional work a little challenging or even taxing, they will soon learn to enjoy their

work a lot more seeing their reward in the form of improvement of their students in all

the domains of their personality.  Further, once they learn to plan their work in the initial

phase, they will find the schedule more rewarding and less hectic.  

The Board has brought out Teachers’ Manuals on Formative Assessment in the

subjects of Hindi, English, Science and Social Science for class IX which are available

on CBSE website. These manuals are detailed and exhaustive documents focusing on

formative aspects of learning and provide valuable guidance to the teachers in

respective subjects.

Schools have also been advised to familiarize parents and students with all the

material, circulars, and various manuals brought out on CCE and Formative

Assessments.  This is essential to provide correct information to the parents. Moreover

the schools need to involve parents in the changes being made in terms of transaction

of syllabus, conduct of Formative Assessment, conduct of Co-Scholastic Skills and

maintaining records of marks and grades in case of Summative Assessment. It is also

important that schools should not be charged with subjectivity while evaluating Co-

Curricular skills. It is therefore advised that schools should arrange the evaluation of co

curricular skills in such a way that more than one teacher is involved for assessing Life

Skills, Co-Curricular Skills, Attitudes and Values.