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A practical step

The proposal of the CBSE to also include practical or project work in all subjects from the humanities stream in its Class XII examination structure from the 2020 academic session is pregnant with reformative possibilities.

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The proposal of the CBSE to also include practical or project work in all subjects from the humanities stream in its Class XII examination structure from the 2020 academic session is pregnant with reformative possibilities. Foremost, it will equip the students, as they step out of school, to apply the knowledge gained in real-world situations. Our present theoretical system of evaluation largely produces half-baked literates. A school passout, if unable to converse intelligently, though having proficiency in the written form, cannot be quite deemed to be qualified in the subject. An abhorrent byproduct of this deficiency is the breeding of money-guzzling ‘English-speaking teaching’ shops that many a student is forced to join to plug this loophole.

In tandem with the objective-type questions planned in the new test pattern, the move will also, to some extent, address the problem of rote learning and regurgitation on answersheets of chapters mugged up without application of mind. As class teachers, along with external examiners, are likely to have a say in the practical test, a student’s year-long progress will get due recognition. A study of history, literature and art makes one appreciative of past perspectives and fortifies one with an insight to better examine the current culture. Indeed, that is the need of the hour. It is time that certain absurdities propounded in the name of our ‘glorious’ past are filtered through a more informed logic so that we evolve into a progressive society.

With this forward-looking idea, the hitherto neglected section of the arts stream as compared to the science and commerce ones in schools gets a leg-up. It has the potential to enhance the employability of humanities students as they get to have a tangible experience of their syllabi. But there is a huge challenge ahead. The practical component calls for more interactive teacher-pupil sessions. Preparing the educators for the impending changes with self-analytical methodologies is a huge task. Unlike the pure sciences that work on solid evidences and figures, social sciences call for interpretative and analytical modes to quantify human experience. It will entail creative thinking and imagination.

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