SRINAGAR: The Centre on Wednesday announced major changes in the education system, in line with the New Education Policy (NEP), saying textbooks will be developed for the 2024 academic session. The new curriculum framework was announced by Ministry of Education, NDTV reported.
According to the ministry’s declaration, students in Classes 11 and 12 will be required to study two languages, with a mandatory stipulation that one of these languages must be Indian in origin.
Furthermore, a notable shift is the introduction of biannual board examinations, allowing students to retain their best scores. This alteration, as per the NDTV report aims to reduce the perceived high-stakes nature of these exams and instead assess students’ understanding and competency, rather than their ability to memorize extensive material.
The ministry, as per NDTV articulated this shift, stating, “Board exams will be offered at least twice a year to ensure students have enough time and opportunity to perform well. Students can then appear for a board exam in subjects they have completed and feel ready for. They will also be allowed to retain the best score.”
The updated curriculum framework promotes increased flexibility in subject choices for students in Classes 11 and 12, eliminating the previous limitations based on streams like arts, science, and commerce. Moreover, there are plans for school boards to develop the capability to offer “on-demand” exams. To achieve this, board exam test developers and evaluators will be required to complete university-certified courses before taking up this task.
In a bid to reduce costs, the new framework discourages the practice of ‘covering’ textbooks in the classroom, emphasising the need to optimise textbook expenses.
