A satisfactory association – Vibgyor & CAIE

A research paper titled Assessment for improving learning in schools in India: A Perspective submitted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to the International Association for Educational Assessment in 2008, admits that current student performance assessment and evaluation systems in K-12 education in India are entirely exams-based. “Assessment focuses only on cognitive learning outcomes and in the process, co-curricular domains are neglected, even though co-curricular areas are an equally important and significant part of child development. Even in curricular areas, the focus is on rote learning and memorisation, characterised by a neglect of higher mental abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving and creative ability,” says the NCERT paper. Currently, there’s a raging debate among progressive parents on whether the Central and state boards, whose syllabi, curricula and pedagogies are synchronised with public entrance examinations, provide better chances for admission into India’s 35,000 undergraduate colleges and 835 universities. On the other hand, several offshore examination boards such as Cambridge Assessment International Examinations (CAIE), International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) and Edexcel offer syllabi and curricula that test and develop the broader cognitive and problem-solving skills of students which aren’t adequately appreciated by public entrance exams and university boards in India. Nevertheless the number of schools affiliated with CAIE and IBO in India has grown rapidly in recent years. In particular CAIE-affiliated schools in India has grown to 350 and the number of IBO schools to 120. Currently five of the 20-strong Mumbai-based Vibgyor Group of K-12 institutions are affiliated with the UK-based CAIE and our experience of the CIE syllabus/curriculum has been good. Internally generated evidence indicates that the CAIE pedagogy develops the cognitive, physical, social, emotional intelligences of children in a balanced, integrated way. Students are encouraged to experience hands-on learning in a spirit of exploration. The promised objective of the curriculum, to make children confident, responsible, reflective and innovative, has been substantially delivered. For example, ‘A’ level (class XII) students at Vibgyor High, Mumbai recently undertook a project on sales and marketing of food items as part of their business studies curriculum. This exercise enabled students to acquire valuable practical experience of planning and implementing business ideas while trouble-shooting and problem-solving in a systematic and logical manner. Simultaneously they interacted with co-workers and customers, managed time and set priorities in the real world context. Another significant advantage offered by the CAIE curriculum is a wider choice of subjects. While Indian exam boards offer just one-two subjects within each stream — humanities, science and commerce — CAIE’s ‘A’ level school-leaving exam offers a broad choice of 55 subjects with schools given the option of offering them in any combination. This flexibility means schools can build individualised curriculums, and learners can choose a cluster of subjects across disciplines to study. This freedom helps students to focus on subjects which interest them even as they explore several career paths. In the area of evaluating learning outcomes too, CAIE affiliation offers several advantages. Evaluation is not restricted to written papers. Learning…