SSC board maths paper to test subject understanding
Secondary School Certificate (SSC) students who have begun Class 10 this year will face a series of changes in the maths and science syllabi and the evaluation pattern. This is part of the state board’s plan to upgrade these syllabi in line with the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
Secondary School Certificate (SSC) students who have begun Class 10 this year will face a series of changes in the maths and science syllabi and the evaluation pattern. This is part of the state board’s plan to upgrade these syllabi in line with the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
The board exam paper for maths will from next year comprise Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions, similar to the ones in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exam papers.
“Such questions will be application-based and test a student’s understanding,” said Susan Babu, a maths teacher who attended the state-level training workshops for maths teachers in May. She added that this year SSC schools will examine students in their Class 10 unit tests for maths on the basis of multiple-choice questions. Further, questions in different sections of the board exam paper can be drawn from any chapter in the syllabus. Previously, the board had a blueprint, with questions from certain sections of the paper specifically linked to certain chapters.
For science, the weightage for the Class 10 board exam will now change from the 80:20 theory-practical break-up to 60:40. It changed to the 60:40 format for Class 9 last year.
“The focus has moved to practicals, experiments and opportunities for the children to think creatively,” said Ganesh Gadekar, who conducted some of the teacher training workshops on the changes in the science syllabus. “Teachers have also responded positively to it.”
Class 10 maths and science teachers in the city are going through a series of workshops to familiarise themselves with the changes for the new academic year. The board upgraded the syllabus for Class 9 last year. The changes will be applicable now for Class 10, too.
“A complete overhaul is in progress,” said S Dhekane, secretary of the board. “Whether it is in the textbooks or the evaluation pattern or the teaching methods, everything is being brought up to date with the NCF’s recommendations.”