March 16, 2013, 12:00 am
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is introducing the open book examination system for classes 9 and 10 from the academic year 2014-15.
The Board�s decision comes in the wake of an announcement made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Parliament on Wednesday.
�It�s a great initiative. However, an open book examination cannot have questions that have direct application. They should be of analytical kind � ones that test the ability of a student to tackle them,� said Manju Balasubramani, principal, DPS North, Yelahanka.
The aim of such a system is to do away with rote learning and improve students� ability to understand and apply concepts. �There is also the question of training teachers for implementing it,� said Bal���as�ubramani.
Though students will not be allowed to carry textbooks to the classrooms, they will be given prior notification of the chapters the analytical questions will be based on.
�I don�t believe in the open book examination system, as earlier attempts to implement it had failed to yield the desired results. The definition of learning is different in our country,� said Shil Balasingh, principal, KV, DRDO.
Open book exam will be part of the Summative Assessment II. It will also be part of classes 11 and 12. The students will tackle separate questions based on case studies of a particular subject.
