Punjab SCERT releases activity-based assessment plan for pre-primary kids in govt schools

As per the letter issued by the director, SCERT, on Friday, pre-primary students will be assessed thrice a year— July, November and March—as per a ‘report card’, which was also released.

A part of the PSCERT report card.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), under the project ‘Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab, released the first playway and activity-based assessment plan for pre-primary students in government schools in Punjab.

As per the letter issued by the director, SCERT, on Friday, pre-primary students will be assessed thrice a year— July, November and March—as per a ‘report card’, which was also released. The orders further clarify that teachers have to give ‘sakaratmik’ (positive) comments only on the report card and the document must be shared with parents.

In November 2017, Punjab claimed to have become the first state in the country to introduce pre-primary playway classes in government schools for the age group between 3-6 years. The department also claims that 1.10 lakh children have been admitted already. A curriculum titled ‘Khed Mahal’ has been prepared to make kids learn while playing in line with private playway schools.

The orders issued Friday clarify that pre-primary children have to be assessed only on the basis of ‘observation’ by their teachers.This ‘observation’ has to be carried out for at least 15 days for each child during playful activities and the report card has to be filled by 22nd of assessment month. For instance, assessment till November has to be completed by November 22.

Children will be assessed on five parameters: physical and mental fitness, social and moral development, intellect development, basic language and mathematics learning for beginners.

In each of these five categories teachers will be assessing students in three categories: madad di zarurat hain (needs help), koshish karda hain (makes an effort) and vadhiya karda hain (satisfactory performance).

Physical and mental fitness assessment includes: Rope-skipping, holding a ball with both hands, coloring, paper folding, holding a pencil in right manner and joining dots to complete a picture.

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Social and moral development includes: Knowing own name and address, socializing with other kids, conversing without hesitation, cleanliness habits and staying happy in classroom.

Intellect development activities include: Touching and identifying objects, comparisons like big and small, thinking and speaking, solving puzzles and jigsaws etc.

Some new points on basis of which pre-primary kids will be assessed are:

— Paper folding
— Holding a pencil in right manner
— Completing a picture by joining dots
— Rope-skipping
— Staying happy in classroom
— Socializing with other kids
— Starting a new conversation without hesitation
— Solving puzzles

For language learning, kids will be assessed for poems, songs, reading alphabets with help of pictures, trying to write easy alphabets etc.

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For mathematics, children will be assessed for counting 1 to 10, recognizing numbers 1 to 9 and oral addition and subtraction 1-9 with help of objects.

Divya Goyal

Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab). She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region. Professional Profile Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012. She previously worked with Hindustan Times. Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition. She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awards and Recognition Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities: Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts. Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab. Signature Style Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime. Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles. X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_ ... Read More