Bagless days, 40-mark tests: Task force proposes reforms

Time of India

3 days ago

Ahmedabad: Less weightage to written exams, bagless days, 40-mark written test, and less administrative work for teachers. These are some of the recommendations made by the task force constituted by the education department to bring a 360-degree transformation to the education system.
Compiled after a series of consultations and meetings, and submitted to chief minister Bhupendra Patel, the comprehensive report outlines major changes in school assessment patterns, aiming to align it with the National Education Policy (NEP) and introduce a more inclusive, activity-based, and stress-free evaluation method, officials close to the development said.
A key recommendation is to replace the current biannual summative assessment model with a new dual-phase structure — formative assessment in the first term and summative evaluation in the second term.
To reduce the overwhelming focus on written exams, the report recommends shifting from a 100% written assessment system to a 40% written and 60% activity-based evaluation model. Activities like co-curricular engagement, sports, vocational training, and art will now play a crucial role in evaluating a student's progress.
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The task force suggests a trimester-based 40-mark written test, alongside activity-based assessments.
For Class 5, the end-of-term exam weightage will increase from 40 to 60 marks, and for Classes 6 to 8, it will be raised to 80 marks. Additionally, the task force has emphasised multi-source assessment. Besides teachers, students will be evaluated by themselves (self-assessment), peers, and even parents. This inclusive model is designed to reduce academic pressure and promote emotional, physical, and intellectual growth, officials said.
The report also proposes the abolition of traditional unit tests, recommending instead the implementation of continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE). Like CBSE's holistic progress cards, Gujarat schools will adopt a holistic progress report, generated every three months to reflect a student's overall development.
To support teachers and enhance teaching quality, the task force suggests reducing their non-teaching workload, especially in data entry tasks, which currently consume a significant amount of their time. Reducing this burden will enable teachers to focus more on academic delivery and student engagement, the report says.