Special Correspondent
Panaji
Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training-Goa (SCERT-Goa) Meghana Shetgaonkar on Friday said the SCERT will set common question papers for examinations of grades from III to VIII from this
academic year.
“However, the conduct of these examinations, assessment and evaluation of answer papers, preparation of reports will be the responsibility of respective schools,” she added.
Addressing a press conference, the SCERT director said the objective behind having a common examination for these grades is to bring about standardisation in education and ensure the implementation of the assessment pattern in schools uniformly.
It was further informed that the forthcoming exams of grades from III to IV would be held from October 9 to October 15, while exams of grades from VI to VIII would be held from October 7 to October 15 for all government and government-aided schools, as also around 50 unaided schools.
Shetgaonkar also informed that the SCERT has received requests from six aided Konkani medium primary schools that since they are conducting classes in English language, the papers should be set in English.
“Therefore, we have decided to provide them the same only for this academic year, so that the students are not at loss,”
she added.
It was also informed that the Urdu medium schools have requested to consider English, and not Konkani or Marathi as their third language, and therefore the same would be done during this academic year.
The SCERT, in consultation with the Education Department, would take all these issues – including requests from schools – further for preparing a related policy. However, such requests would be accepted only till September 30, as also no relaxation of any kind would be given to any school from next academic year.
The SCERT will also send flying squads to all talukas during these common examinations, so as to ensure that the schools use only those papers for the exams which are set by the SCERT.
The SCERT director informed that a surprise visit was conducted to schools in Sanguem taluka earlier this week so as to inspect the implementation of the national education policy 2020, and it was found that the same was being implemented very smoothly.
