The flip side of CCE pattern

|| Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Sir, why continuous and comprehensive assessments are better  than annual/board examinations atleast upto secondary level. Shall we discuss this topic?

|| S. C. Vohra: In my opinion CCE was the best system ever introduced in our country. Unparalleled. Please also discuss why it died untimely death. Where we went wrong in properly implementing such a wonderful system ?Was it a systemic failure? I’m really keen to know the views of learned members.

|| Sangeetha Thyagarajan: That's true sir.

In my humble opinion CCE died because 

- the mindset of parents remained with troubling students to work hard only once a year during finals to be promoted to a higher class.

- parents and students found it stressful to be active participants in all academic activities throughout the year.

- many teachers found the periods between assessments too short to complete portions and conduct revisions.

- academic staff spent too much time doing evaluations rather than active teaching.

- workload was more for all stakeholders.

- training for CCE was inadequate or lacking in most schools.

Thus, though it would've been a more holistic and cognitive educational system it died due to lack of preparation.

|| Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Lack of teachers ability to do cumbersome documentation. 

Now with modern technology it could have been simplified.

|| Dr. BALA SUBRAMANIAN: Is knowledge or quality of a student is given by number or by ranks, Is in a real life is ranks and score which is expected is in expected level.

Is expected is expecting and when can numbers realy reflects rhe expected.

In India, systamatic is a very difficult or challanging part. 

Need a lot of time to change from the conventional employees. 

Many don't want to move a Centimetre from their given task. Dedication is the word one can see only in the dictionary.

Only 20% worry/serious for the remaining 80%, and it has revise the ratio

|| Dr Sekar Seenivasan: One of the best rubrics in CCE is maintaining Anecdotal records for all students.  Speciality in this being records made from all stakeholders like students other teachers parents society and all.

I wish to share one interesting episode. 

During CCE awareness meeting for students and parents i elaborated this point once and asked them to report the class teachers the best quality observed on any students and that records  moves from class to class after promotion.

Next week an auto driver approached one class teacher of 8th standard and narrated the following. 

One student by name Ramya of class 8th observed her classmate Girija was absent for more than 10 days.

Ramya contacted the autodriver and learnt from him that Girija was suffering from typhoid fever.

Ramya started writing all class notes and assignments for Girija and along with her mother or elder sister reached Girija's house ever alternate days,briefed her about school happenings and made Girija felt ease.

This character of empathy by Ramya to Girija made the Autodriver Mr Shanmugam feel so excited about schooling and real values of learning.  

In the annual day he obtained permission from principal and addressed the gathering with emotion. He also referred the annecdotal records maintained at the school. 

The chief guest immediately gave a cash honorarium of1000 rs to that driver for bringing this to teacher. 

Also the Chief guest called both the parents of Ramya and Girija along with the class teacher to the stage infront of huge gathering around 2500 

and congratulated Ramya for her deeds by offering a shawl and flowers with fruits. There was standing ovation.  I could not control my tears.

Such great things occur in schools under CCE.

|| AZEEZ: Neither the system nor the executees failed to implement CCE in our education system.

Teachers were given various training and made to understand the uniqueness of the system. They were ready to adopt it and followed it. Exceprionals were there. Still The users/ beneficiers failed to understand it and made it failed. Use it or lose it - the choice is given to the users. They lost it. 

The reason is: 

The students have to be treated like children and it is very important to understand that every child has its own capacity and capability. 

Undue pressure and unnecessary stress or constant evaluation is still predominant factor of India’s education and for bringing out the shy students out of their shell, there has to be a lot more improvement in all the studying patterns in the country.

¶ The flip side of CCE Pattern:

A lot of people, including the students and teachers believe that the CCE pattern introduced by CBSE has a lot of disadvantages instead of the positive points. 

¶ Here is the flip side of the CCE pattern:

• The grading system is its biggest disadvantage because students scoring 90 and 99 marks are both kept in Grade A+. There is no segregation

• Grouping together of a large number of students is another disadvantage

• A lot of people argue that CCE makes the students take their boards lightly

• Students are forced to study all round the year, which in a way, is like giving no rest to them. Each and every activity is monitored constantly

• The internal exam papers are evaluated by school teachers, which means that there is a huge possibility of favouritism

• Endless projects and students’ dependency on the Internet is hampering their creativity in a way, with no outside knowledge

• The students have a casual approach towards re-evaluation as this option is readily available for them

• There has been an introduction of language labs for conducting listening and speaking classes. However, a lot of schools do not have the infrastructure and facility for the same

Even though CCE is a radical concept in the reformation of education system in India, but the disadvantages need to be addressed in a right manner so as to bring about a real, genuine and positive transformation to the education patterns with reduced stress over students.

¶ Strengthening CCE:

The following would be a few practical suggestions to strengthen the implementation of CCE;

* The number of assessment activities should not be excessive that they may not become counter-productive.

* Evaluation needs to be integrated with the process of teaching and learning, so as to provide feedback to the teacher regarding appropriateness of instructional strategies and evaluation techniques and modify as per need.

* Completing syllabus in the class will be meaningless until a child acquires some basic competencies in that subject. Syllabus should be concept based rather than skill based.

* CCE should be made the mode of evaluation in order to realise the instructional objectives.

|| Cosmos Ennu Kawa: 1. A very common occurrence among students is that they get extremely stressed out due to exams to the extent that some even stay up all night just to revise that one chapter in which he/she has a problem. CCE is a very useful tool that can be used to reduce the anxiety or fear which clouds learners minds whenever examinations approach nearer.

2. The CCE evaluates the learning needs and abilities of learners. With CCE, students can constantly test their abilities and put their best foot forward. The CCE allows teachers as well as learners to identify the areas where they need more help.

3. CCE helps facilitators to systematize their strategies for effective teaching and learning. Continual evaluation allows the facilitator to detect weaknesses and identify certain students' learning styles. By identifying a lersner's learning difficulties on  regular basis, it helps in improving learners performances.

4. CCE is child-centred  and treats each lesrner as an individual. It aims at building on the unique abilities, strengths, and development of each learner. 

5. Continuous and comprehensive assessment which is a crucial part of evaluation structure helps to assess the progress of the learners.

6. The CCE provides facilitators with various assessment activities that allow them to diagnose learners' defects. Whenever a facilitator gives feedback of assessment activities, he/she helps their learners identify problem areas and provides feedback and supports to help them improve their performances.

|| Madhumita Jana: Good morning to all educators !

The suggested view points of every elite educator is very apt and worth pondering over.

I feel CCE is an excellent positive tool of school based evaluation that involves all the parameters of a student's development. As we all know  growth is a continual  process  hence there can not be a better system than CCE to monitor the growth of a learner academically and non - academically. 

Anything that is a continuous practice and exercise will definitely be difficult but that will definitely bring about a remarkable change in one's mindset. CCE is not just an evaluation for students but an evaluation for the mentors & facilitators too. The thinking skills , observation & decision making is enhanced in the evaluator. The facilitators will have to continuously make a biased free judgement to help in the all round development of a child . 

If the documentation of the evaluation is systematic  & well planned , I think CCE then would  be a success .

All we need to practice is "Learn, Unlearn to Relearn " .