As time progresses, methods to deal with changing times also evolve, empowering us to soar to new heights. Education, a shining beacon of progress, has always welcomed dynamic change with open arms. Innovative policies are being introduced to revolutionize the educational system, making it an inclusive haven where everyone can thrive. But how can we overlook that schools, past and present, have largely been built on the ‘Empowerment Principle,’ where high achievers ascend while those who struggle are encouraged to rediscover their strengths and are not removed from the vibrant landscape of possibilities?
Considering this, the National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a new assessment framework that incorporates a ‘Holistic Progress Card,’ which includes feedback not only from teachers but also from peers and parents.
This shall transform the entire perspective that has so far gripped students’ minds. They have always been evaluated by the teacher’s eye, and some have even become targets of favoritism and judgmental behavior. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), an organization under the purview of the Union government, has issued a directive to all states, requesting them to either adopt or adapt the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) for a comprehensive and overall evaluation.
This initiative represents a transformative assessment approach, as it redefines the traditional paradigm where teacher evaluations of students were considered paramount. The integration of “significant others” in a child’s life into the performance indicator determination process will be instrumental in generating a comprehensive perspective of the child, which may either corroborate or diverge from the teacher’s assessment.
This new ‘Report Card’ will facilitate a comprehensive, year-round evaluation of students, moving beyond solely summative assessments. Formative assessments conducted throughout the year will contribute to enhancing students’ knowledge, skills, practical application, and training.
This new effort shall move beyond traditional evaluation practices, which were largely teacher-oriented, and shall be based on the principles of ‘ground empiricism,’ largely including inputs from parents, classmates, and self-assessment by students.
This new report card will assess students’ skills and competencies, as well as their social-emotional intelligence and attributes, rather than solely focusing on academic scores and grades. In essence, it will utilize a comprehensive 360-degree evaluation. It will evaluate a child’s progress in areas such as interpersonal relationships, reflection and introspection, creativity, and application orientations.
The Holistic Progress Cards (HPCs) have been developed by the Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), a standard-setting body under the NCERT, for the foundational stage (Classes 1 and 2), preparatory stage (Classes 3 to 5), and middle stage (Classes 6 to 8), in accordance with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Report cards for the Secondary Stage (beyond Class 9) are currently under development.
Through this technique will be regularly assessed through class activities where they are not just passive learners but active agents. Concept building and understanding shall be emphasized. The difficulty level that students experience while performing shall also be assessed.
Teachers will, therefore, be able to document a student’s strengths, such as their capacity for collaboration, adherence to instructions, and empathetic understanding. Similarly, identifying weaknesses like inattentiveness, susceptibility to peer pressure, or insufficient preparation will assist educators in pinpointing areas where a child genuinely requires support.
Students will also have the opportunity to contribute to the evaluation of their own performance. For example, a student might select responses such as ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ or ‘Do not know’ in response to statements like ‘I enjoyed this task’ or ‘I found this work straightforward.’ Likewise, peers will provide feedback for their classmates.
The HPC will also link home and school and make parents an integral part of the learning process. Children’s ability to balance screen time with extracurricular activities at home is now part of a progress report card.Parents’ input regarding their child’s ability to follow lessons in the classroom will be included.
Approximately 15-16 states and Union Territories have already implemented the new methodology at either the foundational or preparatory stages.
According to NEP 2020, the HPC is a means to build on the self-awareness and self-esteem of students by communicating their strengths and areas for improvement.
Instead of assessing rote memorization skills, HPC emphasizes cultivating the ability to address competency-based questions, including analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity among students. It maintains that the evaluation of a student’s progress should be conducted through the systematic gathering of evidence. To gain a comprehensive understanding of a student’s ‘core competencies,’ activities such as projects, debates, presentations, experiments, investigations, and role-playing are utilized.
The Holistic Progressive Card (HPC) extends beyond mere numerical grades, emphasizing descriptive and analytical assessments. Furthermore, it aims to offer educators and guardians valuable insights to facilitate each student’s learning journey.
The writer is a Teacher. wanif394@gmail.com