The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Test for elementary school students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 17, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Test for elementary school students

By Shastry V Mallady

MADURAI, JAN. 16. Objective type questions, a common question paper, external invigilators or examiners and more importantly, results that are published on the same day. This is not a competitive examination or an entrance test for a professional course but a random test for elementary school students to be conducted in schools in the district on January 18.

The Department of Elementary Education is holding an "unofficial" random assessment test called "preliminary achievement test" in 40 government schools in the district for students of Standard III and V.

Officials in the Education Department said 2,400 students from corporation and aided schools will take part in this special test.

Though the students' performance will not have an impact on his or her promotion to the next class, the test is aimed at evaluating the standards of teaching and learning in elementary schools to make changes, if necessary.

"This test, a special initiative in the district, is a prelude to the simultaneous and random state-level test to be conducted in all districts at the end of this month by the Directorate of Elementary Education. The official date for the examination is yet to be announced by the Government," N. Ammayappan, District Elementary Education Officer (in-charge), told The Hindu here today.

Officials in the Elementary Education Department have made extra efforts to see that no school manipulates or tries to hide its deficiencies in teaching. The results would set the direction for making improvements in schools, both among teachers and students.

It is similar to a competitive examination as the questions, set by the department officials, are of objective type. The paper set for 100 marks will cover five subjects, mathematics, science, social studies, English and Tamil. The exam duration is 90 minutes and teachers will value the answer papers at a common centre in Madurai.

The test is confined to schools in the Madurai North Range as it is a model examination, says S. Madhavan, Assistant Education Officer (North Range).

Based on the students' performance, the department is planning an overhaul of teaching methods.

Officials will randomly select students from the attendance registers of each school to prevent teachers from resorting to the malpractice of sending only "bright" students for the test. Motivation and special coaching for students of elementary schools will be the next step, the AEO added.

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