Teachers’ demand ‘simplified’ SSLC boards question papers

23 key recommendations submitted to examination board; these include combining internal, external exam marks to calculate passing grade, adding fill in blanks, more

The teachers’ forum has recommended to the education board that students who perform below average in their studies should be able to pass the SSLC annual examination by formulating ‘student-friendly’ question papers. The design of the SSLC question paper is considered more challenging compared to that of the second PU question paper. Therefore, the Social Science Teachers’ Forum has appealed to the Karnataka School Education and Assessment Board (KSEAB) to ‘simplify’ the SSLC annual exam question paper to suit the age of the students, similar to what is done for the PU exams. The forum has insisted on creating a new design for the question paper from the current academic year.

Concerns over question design

The design of the annual question paper for PU students, who possess greater intellectual capabilities and are older in age compared to Grade 10 students, is considerably more varied. The forum believes that the design should facilitate passing for all students. The SSLC question paper lacks diversity and uniformity. For instance, the PU history exam has nine types of main questions, while the SSLC social science exam has only five types. Additionally, in the PU exams, there are question formats such as ‘Fill in the blanks’, ‘Match the following’, and ‘Write in chronological order’, whereas the SSLC paper predominantly features uniform questions that seek two, three, or four marks, along with descriptive answers.

23 key suggestions submitted to KSEAB
Chidanand Patil, the state coordinator of the Social Science Teachers’ Forum said that steps to improve SSLC annual examination results were discussed in a recent meeting with subject teachers. An overall review of the PU and SSLC question papers revealed significant differences in question design. To rectify this, a systematic blueprint for the examination paper must be developed, ensuring that internal marks are considered as passing marks. In this context, 23 key recommendations have been submitted to the Karnataka School Education and Assessment Board.

To enhance the effectiveness of question paper design, several recommendations have been put forth. First, it is suggested to provide options for question selection without incorporating ‘or’ questions, thereby allowing students greater flexibility in their responses. Additionally, the inclusion of ‘fill in the blanks’ format is advised, with clear instructions for students to write their answers in the specified areas.

An overall review of PU, SSLC question papers revealed major differences in question design– Chidanand Patil, state coordinator, Social Science Teachers’ Forum

“Moreover, it is important to prioritise events in a chronological manner when designing questions. The structure of the paper could include five one-mark questions, with students given the option to answer any eight out of a selection of fifteen two-mark questions. Furthermore, students would be required to respond to four questions from a set of seven three-mark questions,” said Patil.

The total grading of the question paper is proposed to be 125 marks, with students expected to answer questions that amount to a total of 80 marks. Finally, the recommendations also emphasised the need to combine internal marks with external examination marks for calculating passing grades. For instance, if the internal marks are 10 and the external exam marks are 25, the total would be 35, establishing 35 as the passing grade.