Delhi: Tools to help schools assess mindset curriculum impact
The Delhi government introduced the Happiness curriculum in 2018, Entrepreneurship mindset curriculum in 2019 and the Deshbhakti curriculum last year with the aim of inculcating problem-solving approaches among students and making them more self-aware, self-confident and socially responsible.
With the directorate of education (DoE) introducing new assessment guidelines for government, government-aided, and unaided schools in the Capital from the current academic session to assess the impact of the mindset curriculum — happiness, entrepreneurship, and Deshbhakti — on students’ behaviour, schools in the Capital said they will focus on creating tools for mapping the impact of the mindset curricula on the students .
“Question papers in the mid-term exam, pre-board exam and annual exam shall be set in a manner to assess the comprehension, competencies and other skills as required….. A greater number of competency-based questions or questions that assess the application of concepts in real life/unfamiliar situations will be part of the question paper in mid-term, board and annual exam,” stated the new assessment guidelines issued by the DoE on Friday.
Sukhbir Singh Yadav, principal of Government Co-ed Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 21, Rohini, and president of Vice and Principals’ Association of Delhi, said the new guidelines lays emphasis on the assessment of mindset curricula, which necessitated the creation of tools required to assess the impact on students.
“We will be holding an orientation with our teachers to communicate the new guidelines among students. Aspects pertaining to the mindset curricula are new. Accordingly, we will have to incorporate unique methods to assess how students are learning from the mindset curricula,” said Yadav.
Sarita Tandon, a political science teacher at Government Co-ed Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 21, Rohini, said while the assessment of mindset curricula will not impact the promotion of students to the next class, schools will have to incorporate new tools of assessment. “Assessment of mindset curricular will take place for the first time... Some templates and suggestions have already been given by the DoE,” said
Sudha Acharya, chairperson of the National Progressive School Conference (NPSC) that has over 120 Delhi schools as members, said the new assessment guidelines have been shared with the teachers and will be disseminated among parents by Monday.
“Important pointers and changes outlined in the assessment guidelines have been shared with member schools of our consortium. At our school, we held an orientation for teachers on Saturday. The guidelines will be shared with parents on Monday so that all concerned stakeholders are familiar with the new guidelines,” said Acharya.
She added the as the guidelines require that students from classes 3-8 also be assessed on Happiness and Deshbhakti curricula, schools have to ensure that students keep the answer sheets with them for one whole year to address their grievances, if any. “Earlier, we used to keep the answer sheets as a record for students in classes 9 to 12. Now, the same will be done for students from classes 3 to 8,” said Acharya, principal of ITL Public School, Dwarka.
The Delhi government introduced the Happiness curriculum in 2018, Entrepreneurship mindset curriculum in 2019 and the Deshbhakti curriculum last year with the aim of inculcating problem-solving approaches among students and making them more self-aware, self-confident and socially responsible.