How to continue education without conducting exams in the Pandemic Year?
The year 2020 and 2021 has been a testing time for all the educators across the Globe, especially in the under developed and the poor countries in Africa and Asia, where it had the maximum impact on the students life and education, leaving many poor children into farming and menial jobs.
Since the schools were all closed and the parents and those supporting families have lost their earnings due to restrictions and lockdowns announced by the governments in order to restrict the spread of Covid-19 the children are left unattended and lost their habitual learning at home.
The students have lost a year of school term during the pandemic lockdown in many countries, and has put children into limbo, their studies have been put on hold and their habitual learning has been disrupted.
The Governments across the World must find innovative ways to overcome the danger of students fall-out of schooling.
The GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in many developing and underdeveloped countries is of very low ratio, which is likely to drop further across the schools in the world to an all-time low, with the drop of GER the GDP will further drop, increasing the poverty leaves in these countries, due to unavailability of technically skilled workmen in the Industries and the educated generation, to further the development, innovation and research across the nations.
Methods of continuing education on cancellation of examinations of 12st standard both Central and State government boards.
What should be the process of promoting students without appearing for board exams and entrance exams and joining degree courses?
Those joining the degree courses and professional degree courses, the students must be promoted based on their assessments in the previous 2 years study in the 11th and 12th standard, and allow them to take up courses on the merit list as per their grades achieved, without writing any entrance exams due to COVID-19, for JEE / NEET/BITSAT / NDA / NIFT/ AIEED etc.
Since most of the professional colleges, the 1st year curriculum is common for all courses in the institutes, for example, Engineering-IIT’s: Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Aerodynamics etc. the curriculum is common for the 1st year students and subsequently based on their assessments in the 1st year professional course results, the streams can be allotted to the students on their preference of choice and institute of choice from the 2nd year onward
Partial Implementation of NEP-2020 and suggestions for continuing education for all students including those who have dropped out due to economic conditions:
- NEP-2020 Implementations: The Bachelorette Degree courses will be of 4 years duration, therefore all students admitted into various colleges both Professional and Bachelorette degrees will have common curriculum in the 1st year. The assessments must be of high standards giving equal opportunities to all students to confirm their courses undertaken based on the 2 years aggregate gradings, in the 11th and 12th standard assessments.
- UGC & AICTE be merged immediately to form as Higher Education Commission of India (HECI): With verticals to form regulation, standard settings with grants and accreditations in all colleges, Universities, Private, Deemed, Open, Vocational etc, which will have the same grading and other rules, which makes the 1st year students to choose the specialization from the 2nd year onwards. The 1st year assessments will be the standard guiding factor for confirming the students courses.
- Academic Bank Credit (ABC): There are expected drop out of students from schools and colleges in the Pandemic Year, due to economic constraints of job losses and lower remunerations of their parents and supporting families, as per the new NEP-2020, the secondary school segment from 9th standard to 12th standard, also must be considered for ABC, instead of starting from the graduation level, Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) must be implemented in order to safeguard the interest of the students giving them an opportunity to continue in future.
- Dropout in schools: As per the MHRD report on Educational Statistics the dropout rate in India in 2018 in the primary levels is 4.13 Percent while 4.03 in upper primary and 17.06 in the Secondary levels -The Economic Review — 18th Jan 2021. and world bank reports In the COVID Pandemic disruption and the digital divide among the students, the dropouts will further aggravate the situation especially effecting the girl child. The world Bank report predicts that there could be up to 30 million students out of school in the year 2021 due to the COVID-19. across the Globe.
Implement ROSSCOSTM in Schools and Colleges:
The concept of ROSSCOSTM- Rollover Schooling, Squeeze-In-Curriculum, Out-of-School, Teaching Methods.
Rollover Schooling: The school children must be rolled over into the next higher class with minimal assessments and appraisal method, and the new students in the pre-primary schooling must be enrolled, the students rolling out of schools or colleges in the final year of studies, using this method that in 12th standard or the final year in degree college, students must have out-of-school academic periods of 9 months with the curriculum squeezed into 1 year and have stringent methods of assessments to grade them and giving an opportunity to students who couldn’t cope up with the flow, a second chance to appear for their examinations in the next 3 months period, keeping within the academic period of the next term of the students.
Squeeze-In-Curriculum: Students to cope up with the higher classes on promoting, without completing the previous class curriculum, in the process of rollover method of schooling the curriculum must be squeezed in, along with the in-completed previous class curriculum with the current upgraded class into one academic year so that the standard of education is maintained in schools. (9th standard student rolled over without appearing for exams to a higher class 10th standard, the curriculum must be squeeze in of both 9th and the 10th class to maintain the continuity and impart knowledge to the students.)
Out-of- School Students: Students in the final year who have not completed their term of education will, however, be out of school without completing their course, due to lack of accommodation in the classes and teaching staff, they will attend schooling in shifts and on holidays to complete their curriculum.
Teaching Methods: The students will attend their classes for blended learning and for experimental learning after the regular school timing and on Sundays and Holidays in the same school /college with a squeeze- in- curriculum into 9 months period and appear for their exams, however, if there are students who could not cope up with the curriculum, can complete within the next 3 months and appear for their exams so that there is no loss of the academic year.
This method will do justice to all students on their grades. It will promote holistic knowledge to all students. The new system of education will focus on 4C’s of learning, Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity, and give the Government an opportunity to partially implement NEP-2020 much earlier than scheduled. Most crucially, will solve the problem of admission of students in the Pre- primary & Primary schooling from the age of 3 year onwards joining the schools for the first time in Anganwadi Centers and Schools as per the NEP-2020 implementation.
Sampat Daniel is an Education Reformist, living in Mumbai, INDIA.
mailto:sampatdaniel@mail.com
