After years of debating, board exams in CBSE schools finally gave way to continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) in 2009. Class IX was the first to experience the changes brought in by CCE.

Two months down the line, classrooms are becoming more fertile. Every student has to perform now. And teachers are innovating to bring out the best in each of them. Instead of reading from the chapters and writing question-answers, they are using quizzes, projects, skits and group activities to give lessons in various subjects. Besides the curriculum, Class IX students are also being graded on attitude and behaviour.

So from now on, being clued in to the developments around the world, looking after your school property, showing your acting skills in the classroom and even being nice to classmates will pay off. Said Vanita Sehgal, headmistress of classes VIII, IX and X in DPS, R K Puram, ‘‘Now, evaluation is an ongoing process. When the CBSE notified that CCE had to be implemented in the second term of Class IX, children got a little stressed out. But they are settling now.’’ The advent of CCE of course means more work for teachers. They have to grade students on scholastic as well as co-scholastic parameters such as thinking skills, social skills, emotional skills, their attitude towards teachers etc. And to do that, it’s become imperative for teachers to know each student well. Parents also came up with doubts on how fair the grading would be.

“It won’t be difficult to mark students on their work experience. It is their soft skills which will be a matter of concern,” admitted Usha Ram, principal, Laxman Public School. ‘‘Our teachers have planned weekly meetings to decide on the grades. We are trying it as an experiment,’’ Ram said. Sehgal said: ‘‘Three or four teachers will sit together to decide the grades.”

Interestingly, by the year-end teachers have taken to writing diaries to pull off CCE. Ashutosh Batta, principal, Bloom Public School, said, ‘‘Our teachers are recording anecdotes about students in diaries. CBSE has given some indicators for evaluating soft skills, so recording the behaviour of students is a must.’’ He further said, ‘‘There may be some bias affecting a student’s result, but to minimize this teachers need to be trained to be more professional.’’ Batta added that they had introduced the ways of CCE in lower classes too so that children get into the groove early.

source: TOI