No more written or oral exams in pre-schools: NCERT

October 17: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has said that no child in pre-school should be made to give any written or oral exam. NCERT categorically stated that the purpose of evaluation at the pre-school stage should not be to label the child as ‘pass’ or ‘fail’.

According to the report, the NCERT, which is the curriculum developing body of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), has said that the pre-school programmes ranging from those that put children to a dull and monotonous routine to those where children are exposed to structured formal learning, often in English, made to do tests and homework, and denied their right to play. These are undesirable further and harmful practice that results from misguided parental aspiration,” the official added.

The NCERT has listed dos and don’ts on how assessment should be performed and reported in pre-schools as part of its “guidelines for pre-school education”. According to the guidelines issued, progress of each child needs to be assessed on a continuous basis different tools and techniques like anecdotal records, checklists, portfolios and interactions with other children.