The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Gnanam panel suggests reforms in content, evaluation system

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Gnanam panel suggests reforms in content, evaluation system

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, OCT. 12. The Prof. A. Gnanam Committee, set up to revise the matriculation school curriculum, today presented its final report to the Education Minister, C.Ve. Shanmugam, at the Secretariat here.

The committee, according to officials and teachers involved, looks at radical reforms in the content, evaluation system and quality standardisation of the unaided schools.

Prof. Gnanam during different sessions with different groups for finalising the curriculum and reforming the matriculation system had talked of separating the system into five modules (pre-primary, Class I and II, Class III to V, Classes VI to VIII, Classes IX and X).

Accreditation

An important element of the final report, it is learnt, is its suggestion for creating a system of "accreditation" for the unaided schools following the model done for colleges and other higher educational institutions.

This would replace the `inspection model,' which is now followed in the matriculation system.

After creation of the Directorate of Matriculation Education more than two years ago, the number of inspectorates was increased from three to 10.

As for the curriculum, Prof. Gnanam's Committee has reportedly suggested a modular approach, which ensures the curriculum and syllabi of one stage "telescopes into the next" avoiding any repetition of ideas and concepts at each stage.

Also, officials involved say that an examination reform has been suggested by which at the end of each of the five stages "some amount of external evaluation" is included in the system.

The idea is not to have a common examination but improve the quality of the evaluation system and do away with a completely internal examination system.

The new syllabus is expected to be introduced gradually from the next year and cover the entire 10 classes in three years.

Computer science is likely to be introduced from class III or IV and economic concepts would be part of the social sciences subject, which now comprised History and Geography.

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