In the face of criticism and objections from guardians, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is considering modifying some changes in the evaluation system of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations.
In this revised system, a partial (50% marks) examination has been arranged under education boards where there will be individual assessment of the student.
Along with this, students will have to sit for five-hour-long SSC and equivalent examination examinations in each subject for 50 marks.
The remaining 50 marks will be evaluated by the teachers of each educational institution throughout the year's learning process. With this, there will be a total 100 marks in each subject.
Earlier, a decision was made to arrange a 100-mark exam in the learning process. Along with this, the decision was taken to cancel the board exam.
Explanations of NCTB members
NCTB member Professor Md Moshiuzzaman said: “We are bringing some changes in the evaluation system following objections from parents and taking suggestions from various levels. We formed a committee. This is being done based on the report and recommendations made by that committee. It is not a fundamental change.”
There will be an evaluation throughout the year, which will be done by the teachers of each institution. Besides, there will be another evaluation at the final stage. It will be under the board in a day. The exam seat will be arranged in another school. Inspectors will also be teachers from other schools. After the exam, the answer sheet will go to the board. From there they will delegate the assessment to other teachers, said the NCTB member.
Moshiuzzaman said: "On the day of the examination, there will be a total of five hours of examination which will start from 10am. There will be an hour break starting from 1:30pm after three hours. In the first three hours students will work on a topic. Their skills and presentation will be observed there. In the next two hours they will write in the exam papers what they have. It will be a total of 50 marks.”
The remaining 50 marks are the evaluation of the whole year. It will be done beforehand, said the NCTB member, adding that there will be two results separately in the mark sheet.
The previous decision was to give the evaluation process entirely in the hands of the teachers of the respective schools. In the sixth and seventh grades of the last year, the teachers evaluated in the same way. But there will be a new system in the SSC exam.
Professor Md Moshiuzzaman said that some guardians raised objections that the board examination was cancalled in the previous decision. Besides, an allegation was raised that tasks and presentations given to students on the same subject on multiple days, would be copied from Youtube and others.
Now, there will be no debate in the revised system, he added.
Dr Tariq Hasan, curriculum committee member and professor of Institute of Education and Research (IER) of Dhaka University commented that the candidates will be allowed to solve a problem in the five-hour exam.
“That is their activity and along with that there will be questions which have to be answered in writing. There will be equal marks in these two phases,” said the DU teacher.
He said that the practical and written exam marks will be equal there. And outside the institution, external teachers will take this exam. Through this there will be personal assessment of the student.
The assessment during learning and this board examination will be mentioned separately in the report card, said the member of the curriculum committee.
He said that the same evaluation system will be followed in other classes of secondary level. There will be examinations of a total of 10 subjects in the SSC examinations.
What experts say
However, Associate professor Mohammad Mojibur Rahman of IER of DU does not see any positive thing in this change in exam evaluation system.
He said: “Actually first we need teachers and infrastructure. First we need to see if we have the required number of skilled teachers and infrastructure for the new courses we are introducing. We are experimenting again and again without solving the existing problems which will not provide a good outcome ultimately.”
"And it is not logical that the system has to be changed if guardians object to anything. In fact, we have to do what we can, what is best for our students. In fact, many things are being done here without preparation,” he said.
Mojibur Rahman said: “We are now giving liability of the evaluation of the student to the will of the individual. It can create an unfair process.”
Meanwhile, Educationist Prof Dr Mohammad Kaykobad said that repeated changes like this cannot bring good results for students.
“It proves that we ourselves do not know exactly what we want to do. A lot of consultants are being brought here now from outside. But my point is, are we ready to do the same here as the education system in England?”
He continued: “The salary of teachers here is the lowest. As a result, talented people are not found here. Some people leave the teaching profession when they get a good job. So how is it possible to do what we want to do?”
He said: “Creative question method failed here. Why did it fail? Now again after a few days various changes are being made. This turbulence about education does not last.”
Ziaul Kabir Dulu, president of the Guardian Unity Forum, said: "It was decided to cancel the entire board exam in SSC. We objected to the decision as a public examination is an important matter.”
“We now applaud the fact that half of the assessment is being brought under the board. But it remains to be seen how it works."
"The method that was being talked about earlier, the assignment could be done by watching YouTube or others. And if any of the teachers did unethical things, there was nothing to do about it. But the matter is not being solved fully,” he added further.
