Summative assessment tests cancelled

As per CCE, the baseline survey would test the minimum competency of students for the current academic year, and the two assessments on the first and second terms would gauge students’ understanding of the syllabus based on learning outcomes. The tests would be carried out for only mathematics and the first language.

In the current no-fail policy up to Std VIII, the assessments have become extremely important to understand students’ understanding of the subjects on the basis of which quality of teaching can also be gauged and students’ academic weaknesses identified to help teachers plan for corrective measures.

While the baseline tests were initially slated to be held in June, they were pushed to October due to various reasons, primary being the confusion over printing and distribution of answer sheets and then confusion on behalf of education officials as to whether the tests should be conducted in non-state board schools as well.

Meanwhile, asked about how learning outcomes in the first semester would be gauged this year in the absence of statewide summative assessment tests, Govind Nandede, Director, Maharashtra State Council of Education Research and Training (MSCERT), said that schools have been asked to conduct first summative assessments at their own level. “In fact, many schools have already done it at their own level and we have recently issued instructions to all schools that whichever have not conducted them, should do so at the earliest,” he said.

While it was expected that an analysis would be carried out of the results of the baseline survey, no such decision has been taken. In fact, a majority of schools still haven’t updated their data on the baseline tests into the SARAL (Systematic Administrative Reforms for Achieving Learning by Students) database which has details of each student and school. “The analysis would be done during the second summative assessment tests only which would be conducted by a third party,” said Shivaji Pandhare, Joint Director, MSCERT.