Education Ministry To Unify School Examination Boards Across India; Workshop In Delhi Initiates Discussions

A workshop organised by the Ministry of Education in New Delhi aims to bring together the 60 school examination boards operating in various Indian states and Union territories under one umbrella.

It will cover topics such as school assessments, examination practices, and board equivalence across the country.

PARAKH, under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), is the main component of this plan, envisioned as the National Assessment Centre.

PARAKH seeks to unify school boards in Indian states and Union territories.

Secretary (School Education) Sanjay Kumar has highlighted the significance of standardising Indian school boards.

He said the plan is to establish a coherent framework to ensure smooth transitions for students moving between boards or regions.

This will involve harmonising curriculum, grading, and evaluation procedures to enhance the reliability and credibility of certificates and grades obtained.

An official in the ministry emphasised reevaluating the current rote learning exam culture and focusing on holistic assessments that consider multiple dimensions of a student's potential and capabilities, as reported by The Hindu.

The discussion highlighted the importance of standardised question papers to achieve fairness and consistency in schools and boards.

It also urged the need to balance formative and summative assessments in order to measure a student's progress effectively.

A presentation of examination results of secondary and higher secondary boards was also part of the discussion.

Representatives from various educational bodies such as the Ministry of Education, Central Board of Secondary Education, and National Institute of Open Schooling attended the meeting along with State Education Secretaries, State Project Directors, and officials from State Examination Boards from across India.