Competency tests in April to eat into Mumbai schools’ summer vacations

The tests to be given to classes 1 to 8 will assess their first language and math skills

Summer vacations may start a tad later this year as the state’s education department will hold competency tests for classes 1 to 8 to assess their first language and math skills. The tests have to be held as part of the year-ender exams, but schools said it is impractical because they wrap up their exams by April and shut for the summer break.

The tests are part of the Pragat Shaikshanik (Progressive in Education) Maharashtra initiative started in 2015 by the state education department.

A must for all schools across boards and management, the tests are part of the Pragat Shaikshanik (Progressive in Education) Maharashtra initiative started in 2015 by the department to raise the learning levels of students and improve quality of education in schools. Schools are graded on the basis of their performance in the tests.

According to a circular issued by the department, schools should not test students on math and first language separately because they will be covered in the summative test. These tests will be counted as a part of the continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE) pattern followed in schools.

The department will provide common question papers to all schools for the two subjects. “So do not ask teachers to design other question papers for it,” states the circular sent to all schools in Maharashtra.

The April test will be summative in nature, evaluating students on what they have learnt in the second semester. This is the third and final competency test for this academic year, 2016-17. Previously, a baseline test — assessing pupils’ on previous year’s syllabus — was held in July and the first summative test was held in October last year.

Educators criticised the government for conducting the tests in a slipshod manner. “These tests are planned at an inconvenient time for schools and students,” said Ganesh Parmeswaran, principal, Bal Bharti School, Navi Mumbai, adding the schools are yet to receive the results of the previous tests.