Draft NCF Proposes 12th Board Exams Twice a Year, Choice-based Courses, no Separate Streams

NEW DELHI: Class 12 board exams twice a year, choice-bases courses, flexibility to choose from different streams, eight papers for Class 9, 10 students are some of the major recommendations made in the draft National Curriculum Framework (NCF), as per reports from Times of India and Indian Express.

A 12-member steering committee headed by chairperson K Kasturirangan has reportedly proposed 16 choice-based courses for students of Classes 11, 12. There will be eight curricular areas including humanities, science, social science, math and computing, vocational education, physical education, arts education, and inter-disciplinary areas, as per reports. Students will have the liberty to choose subjects from different areas.

As per TOI, the draft NCF suggests that while broad curricular subjects such as science and humanities will be taught to students in Classes 9 and 10, the subjects under each area will be taught in length in Classes 11 and 12. Class 10 students will have to complete 16 major courses, selecting two from each area in two years. The broad areas will be further divided into disciplines as students will move on to Classes 11, 12.

In the senior secondary classes, students will have to choose disciplines from at least three curricular areas and study four courses in each discipline. So, if a student chooses social science, mathematics, and humanities as broad curricular areas, they will have to choose a discipline in each area and complete 4 courses in each discipline. For the remaining 4 courses, the student will be allowed to choose from any one of the chosen areas or a completely different one.

At present, Class 10 students are supposed to complete five papers, however, the new curriculum recommends passing eight papers The draft NCF reportedly stated holistic development and increased opportunities for students as reasons to bring in multiple exams and a choice-based course system in the curriculum.

Further, the draft document proposes multiple exams at the end of a year in opposition to single exams as well as “on demand” exams. The NCERT textbooks as well as others will undergo changes on the basis of a new curriculum framework, the reports added.