The National Council for Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) standard-setting body has urged the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) to prompt state governments to formally approve and implement recommendations from the recently released ‘Equivalence’ report.
This report highlights disparities in student performance across various state boards. It is part of the school reforms outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE).
Despite state boards expressing a willingness to adopt the proposed reforms, they require formal approval from their respective governments. An official familiar with the matter noted that boards are encouraged to start preparing question banks for senior classes, a crucial recommendation from the report, while awaiting official clearance. The report also suggests a cumulative assessment system, where students' performances in classes 9, 10, and 11 would contribute to the final evaluation in class 12.
PARAKH, NCERT's unit responsible for setting assessment standards, has been working with state boards through regional workshops to facilitate the adoption of these reforms. However, the process has faced procedural and financial hurdles. An official from the Punjab School Education Board confirmed that their proposal is under review but indicated it may take time for approval. Similarly, Mizoram’s Board of School Education Chairperson, JH Zoremthanga, acknowledged the financial implications but emphasized the importance of starting with question bank preparation.
With education listed as a ‘concurrent’ subject, states are not legally bound to follow central government directives. As a result, the approval process varies across regions. A response from the Ministry of Education regarding implementing these recommendations is still awaited, with the reforms addressing the uneven performance across the 59 school boards in India.