The introduction of a new curriculum in the education system promises transformative changes, but concerns linger over the adequacy of its evaluation methods, prompting calls for revisions.
Under the previous curriculum, students navigated through a regimen of reading, memorization, and facing both internal and external examinations. Evaluation was predominantly centered on the content provided in answer scripts.
However, the paradigm has shifted significantly under the new curriculum. Public tests are now abolished until the tenth grade, with all exams suspended until grade three. The emphasis now lies on task performance, comprehension, and subsequent learning. Teachers are tasked with evaluating students based on their activities.
Despite these sweeping changes, guardians have expressed reservations regarding the evaluation methods. Furthermore, a segment of teachers finds themselves grappling with the intricacies of the new curriculum methodology due to insufficient training.
Officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Ministry of Education have assured that teacher training programs are underway, with plans to incorporate all teachers through regular procedures.
According to the revised curriculum methodology, evaluation will primarily occur through regular class-based schoolwork. Assignments, presentations, communication exercises, and practical work will constitute the evaluation criteria, as outlined in the new curriculum manual. Notably, results will no longer be tabulated using grade point averages (GPAs).
Students will undergo assessment in three stages: competence, middle stage of competence, and labelled as the competent stage. The transition to the new curriculum commenced in 2023 for grades 1, 6, and 7. Grades 2, 3, 8, and 9 are progressively aligning with the new curriculum this year, with assessment methods grounded in 100% learning time.
Looking ahead, grades 4, 5, and 10 are slated to adopt the new curriculum in 2025. From that point onward, 60% of the assessment in Bengali, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science for grades 4 and 5 will occur during learning sessions, with the remaining 40% evaluated collectively. Grades 6 and 8 will undergo similar evaluation, with 100% learning time assessed in designated subjects.
Furthermore, department divisions in class 9 will be phased out, with all students studying 10 designated subjects. Optional subjects will be introduced in grades 11 and 12.
Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel affirmed a readiness to adapt the curriculum as needed, with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) asserting the absence of loopholes in the evaluation method based on piloting programs conducted at 300 selective schools in 2022.
However, despite assurances from the NCTB, concerns persist among teachers, students, guardians, and other stakeholders. The absence of interim tests in the new curriculum raises questions, prompting discussions about potential modifications to the evaluation process.
Prof Md Farhadul Islam, chairman of the NCTB, highlighted the possibility of incorporating specialized subjects like mathematics and accounting to cater to students' diverse interests and career aspirations at the higher secondary level.
