New Delhi: Taking forward the process of
reforms in education, the government wants to change the
question pattern in examinations at school level to give more
focus on testing the intelligence of children, HRD Minister
Kapil Sibal said on Wednesday.
The present examination format in the school system helps
the students perform better by memorising the subjects, than
using intelligence and their analytical abilities, he said.
The government is preparing an action plan to change the
examination format to test the real talent of the students
than encouraging them to memorise the subject contents and
reproduce them in exam.
"Children will be asked questions to test their inherent
intelligence. We are working on an action plan on how to have
such examination system," he told reporters on the sidelines
of a seminar on 'New Education Policy'.
He cited the example of his days in Harvard University
when he had to answer such questions which did not have any
fixed answer in the textbooks.
"Our professors used to tell us that we can take textbooks
to the examination centre. But these books will not be of much
help because the questions will test the real intelligence of
the students," he said.
Sibal said the curriculum at the school level will also be
changed.
Sibal cited the statement of Nobel Laureate Venkataraman
Ramakrishnan, who yesterday said he had failed to clear
entrance tests for both the IITs and a reputed medical college
decades ago.
"The examination system needs to be changed. Even a Nobel
Laureate could not clear JEE those days," he said.
Sibal said the government is working out on how to arrange
funds for implementing the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act, which was passed by Parliament in
July last year. The government has estimated that Rs 1.71 lakh
crore would be spent for implementing the Act in the next five
years.
"Once we work out the funding arrangements, we will notify
the Act," he said.
The government wants that a number of vocational courses,
including courses on animation, paramedics and para-legal,
should be introduced at higher secondary level.
He said film director Subash Ghai had met him recently and
requested for introduction of a course on animation. The
government is in touch with Ghai in evolving such a course.
He also said the government will set up a National Higher
Education Funding Corporation soon to help poor and
meritorious students take loan for studies.
Asked about the government's views on continued attacks on
Indian students in Australia, Sibal said the matter is being
investigated and the government will make a statement after it
gets the report.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, January 06, 2010, 16:59