PANAJI
In a bid to lend technical solidity to how it assesses Secondary and Higher Secondary School Certificate -- SSC and HSSC -- students in an uncertain pandemic scenario where physical examination may or may not be possible, the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBS&HSE) has finalised a "Special Scheme for Assessment" for the current 2021-22 academic year.
The criteria takes into account various scenarios in the uncertain pandemic situation including, students being able to come to schools and centres to answer examinations, another where complete closure of schools is necessitated at the end of first term and/or second term, yet another where schools are force-closed at the end of both terms and students have to take exams online from home.
For non-practical subjects, the first and second term examination will be of 90 minutes duration and carry 40 marks each. In addition, for the internal assessment part, two internal tests of 20-marks each will be held in the first term and another again of 20-marks in the second term which will be an 'Innovative Test" and scores of all these three will be rounded up to average 20 marks of the three tests.
For practical subjects again there will be one first term examination of 90-minutes duration and carrying 40 marks, a second term examination for 30 marks of 75 minutes duration and year end practical for 20 marks.
In addition, two internal tests in the first term of 20 marks each and one test in the second term carrying 20 marks which will be an "Innovative Test" will be conducted and scores rounded up to average 10 marks for all these three tests.
Similar criteria have been evolved with minor practical and non-practical subject-wise tweaks for the Class XII (HSSC) vocational stream.
The formal assessment criteria circulated to heads of all secondary and higher secondary schools by Board Secretary Geraldine Mendes, also stipulates a time table for holding the internal tests.
It states that the first internal test (Formative Test) is to be conducted by second week of August which will be of one-hour duration. The second internal test (Formative Test) is to be conducted by the second week of October again of one-hour duration and the third internal test (Innovative Test) will be conducted in the form of presentation/ project / Practical / Unit Test / reading / group assignment.
For curriculum transaction, the Board has said schools will continue imparting learning-teaching activity online only until such time as the situation normalises and authorities permit conduct of offline classes.
Schools are also mandated to create a student profile for all assessment through the year and retain evidence of it in digital format and schools will be facilitated by the Board to upload marks of internal assessment on the Board’s IT Platform.
In her communiqué to the heads of schools, Mendes said the Board has held discussions with different stakeholders, including its Academic Council, Examination Committee, President of Principal Forum and Goa Headmaster Association before finalising the criteria.
