CBSE system fails to plug stress factor

The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system, aimed at lessening the burden of school students, has reportedly increased the stress factor among them as they now feel they are being observed and evaluated 24x7.

The CCE was introduced in all CBSE-affiliated schools along with the transition from mark system to grade system.However, the CBSE has sought to downplay the complaints as teething troubles with Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal saying "some of the schools have not picked it up well."

To deal with the situation, the CBSE has given training to groups of retired educationists and principals on the various modalities of the CCE, where emotional and social skills are also evaluated and grades are awarded along with curricular subjects. These experts are now supposed to visit state schools and train teachers there.

The CBSE has also formed a panel of parents, who are willing to travel to different schools for counselling students, teachers and parents.Apart from academic subjects, students in every standard will be evaluated on the basis of their life skills consisting of thinking, social and emotional skills.

Teachers have to assess the thinking skills on the basis of whether the student shows creativity during class activities and does he/she accept the challenge enthusiastically.
Other issues in consideration will be: Does the student try to go beyond conditional set ups? Does she like to think out of the box? Does she try to help others or motivate others during group activity? Does she try to apply knowledge or skills in new situations? Does she try to volunteer for special assignments?

While assessing social skills, the teacher should look out for the student's patience levels in order to help slow learners and also to see whether the child appreciates the ideas and qualities of others.

The checklist includes questions such as does the student maintain a comfortable level of eye contact? Does the student interrupt to tell his own stories or offers unasked advice? Does he try to exhibit negative behaviour and upset others?

For evaluating emotional skills, the teacher has to find out whether during an activity does the child often say, "I will never win." Does he scream at classmates when he is angry or disturbed? Does he try to do the task again, if declared unsuccessful in the first attempt? Does he try to get secluded when under stress? Does he become argumentative during discussions?

While A+ reflects the student has fulfilled most of the indicators, C reflects that he or she has complied with very few indicators. The intermediate grades are A, B+ and B.

Shruba Mukherjee, NEW DELHI, Oct 9, DHNS: