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• According to unofficial sources, 3 global educational non-profits institutions: Educational Testing Services (ETS), American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) have expressed interest to help in setting up India’s first national school-level examination and assessment regulator.
  • Educational Testing Services (ETS) is internationally recognised for conducting Tests on English as a Foreign Language.
  • American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) are leading names in research on behavioural and social science domains and learning assessment studies.

Background

• Recently the Union government announced to release of a “benchmark framework” to evaluate students' performance at the secondary and higher secondary level.
• The main objective of the framework is to ensure “uniformity” across the state and central boards which presently follow different criteria for evaluation.
• The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) discussed the “common assessment framework” with the representatives of state boards and State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs).
  • They suggested setting up a new assessment regulator ‘PARAKH’.

About PARAKH

• Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) would act as a division of the NCERT.
• The benchmark assessment framework will end the stress on rote learning.
• It will establish norms, standards and guidelines for assessment and evaluation for all recognized school boards in India.
• It will encourage and help school boards to develop their assessments programme to meet the skill requirements of the 21st century.
• It will carry periodic learning outcome tests like the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Surveys.
• The government is expecting that the National Achievement Survey (NAS) in 2024 will be conducted by PARAKH.
• It will guide the State Achievement Surveys and monitor the achievement of learning outcomes in the country.
• PARAKH, the proposed implementing agency, is also part of the National Education Policy (NEP) proposal.

Highlights of New Education Policy 2020

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was released in July 2020.
• NEP 2020 will replace the National Policy on Education, 1986.
• It aims at ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12.
• It Ensures quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years.
• It introduced a New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4).
  • 5 years of foundational stage (for ages 3 to 8).
  • 3 years of preparatory stage (for ages 8 to 11 or classes 3 to 5).
  • 3 years of middle stage (for ages 11 to 14 or classes 6 to 8).
  • 4 years of secondary stage (for ages 14 to 18 or classes 9 to 12).
• No strict separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams.
• To establish a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
• Promoting multilingualism and Indian languages.
• Reform in Assessment of Board Exams. Setting up a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).
• Special priority is given to socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups.
• A separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups;
• A transparent process for recruitment of teachers and merit-based performance assessment.
• Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters.
• Setting up of the State School Standards Authority.
• Promoting Vocational education in school and higher education systems.
• Increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50%.
• Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options.
• Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit
• Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities.
• Setting up of the National Research Foundation.
• Expansion of open and distance learning to increase GER.
• Teacher Education - 4-year integrated stage-specific, subject-specific Bachelor of Education
• All higher education institutions (HEIs) will be restructured into 3 categories:
  • Research universities focus equally on research and teaching.
  • Teaching universities focus primarily on teaching.
  • Degree-granting colleges primarily focused on undergraduate teaching.
• Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher education.
• All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as not-for-profit entities.
• The Centre and the States will work together to increase public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.
• Strengthening of the Central Advisory Board of Education to ensure coordination to bring overall focus on quality education.

 Objectives of NEP 2020

• Reforms in curriculum content.
• The medium of instruction should be in the child's local language/mother tongue. The current three-language formula will continue to be implemented.  
• Reform in the overall assessment process
• Teacher training and management.
• Ensure effective governance of schools.
• Increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio to 50% by 2035 (It was 26.3% in 2018).
• Restructuring of institutions.
• Multidisciplinary education.
• Improving research.
• Promoting Digital education.

https://indianexpress.com/article/education/ncert-proposal-for-parakh-global-bodies-express-interest-in-setting-up-school-exam-regulator-8239636/

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