Special Correspondent
Panaji
The State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) will become an autonomous body from April 1, taking the charge of paper-setting and evaluations to ensure uniform standards across schools.
SCERT director Meghana Shetgaonkar told a press conference on Saturday that teachers’ training will be expanded with decentralised modules and additional faculty to facilitate a smooth rollout of the national education policy 2020.
The SCERT director said the exams for Class VI to Class VIII would be conducted simultaneously, and the question papers for each of these standards in all schools would be same.
“These question papers would be set by the SCERT,” she disclosed.
It has also been proposed to simultaneously hold the exams of Class I to Class VIII in all schools around the state, so as to bring uniformity in education and quality improvement in the evaluation of students.
The question papers for Class IX, Class X and Class XII would however be set by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, as is being done now.
Replying to a question, Shetgaonkar said the students of Class VI to Class X and Class XII, who would attend their new academic year from April 7, will have school only up to 11.30 am, due to the summer conditions.
If the temperature rises to a high level, then a provision has been done to declare holiday, she said.
Meanwhile, education director Shailesh Zingade said the education department had received 4,047 objections from parents over the government decision as regards the commencement of the new academic year.
“Many of these objections were however identical, with just different signatures,” Zingade added, pointing out, “the steering committee has now decided to begin the new academic year on April 7 for Class VI to Class X and Class XII.
He further noted that the summer vacation for schools will be from May 1 to June 4.
The education director also informed that the results of school students up to Class IX would be declared by April 29.
