Students’ Evaluation
Reassessment Needed At Primary Level

By Bharat Bilas Panta

NEPAL National Education Planning Commission (NNEPC) was established in 1954 to make recommendations for a comprehensive national education plan. But there was still a lack of sound national policy and programme about the system of teaching/learning, evaluation and management. After critical study and investigation for two years the commission submitted a report to the government. This commission recommended that evaluation of pupil progress must be as comprehensive as the total objectives of education and, therefore, it must be measured and recorded appropriately. In terms of tools suggested, observation, self-rating performance and other effective devices must be used frequently and continuously. Failures should be at minimum.

Later, in 1960, All Round National Education Committee (ARNEC) was formed. The report contained valuable recommendations for teacher training, introducing new curriculum, and guidelines for textbooks and residential schools. This report reflected on the policy aspects suggesting for provision of access to free and compulsory primary education. Besides, the report suggested an outline for the structure of primary education, curriculum evaluation, management and teacher training. In fact, the report contributed a lot to help the policy makers, planners and administrators design suitable educational programmes. The committee recommended that the evaluation of students be oral and action-oriented. For promotion of grades, it was suggested, the evaluation should be made on the basis of monthly performance in sports character and knowledge of the related subjects.

With the aim to bring about reforms in the examinations, an Examination Reform Unit was established in the Department of Education in 1965. In this connection, Dean of Stanford University, California, USA was invited to contribute to the examination reform activities. As a result, a few projects were introduced to improve the SLC examination system. However, no reform activities took place beyond this level.

Despite various suggestions made by the national level commissions and examinations reform projects to improve the evaluation system at the school level, the old pattern with emphasis on yearly examinations continued for a long period. When National Education System Plan (1971-76) considered education as an investment to mobilise human resources, gradual refinement in education began, in all components such as structure, duration, curriculum, textbooks, teacher training examination and supervision system. While introducing the plan in 1971, the task force involved had thoroughly studied various reports and proposals and analysed the national situation and needs. As regards the objectives of primary education, literacy was the main focus. In this connection, uniformity of curriculum and the medium of instruction were maintained. With the royal declaration of free primary education in 1975, significant impacts on increasing access to and expansion of primary education took place in Nepal.

The introduction of NESP in 1971 also brought about significant changes and improvements in the students’ evaluation scheme. As a result, provision of internal assessment and quarterly examinations were made as the means to assess the progress of students. Besides, teachers were required to maintain a progress record for each student. At the end of primary education, students were promoted on the basis of District Level terminal examination.

The NESP also gave special emphasis to research. As a result, primary education received priority of the students studying education in thesis work by that time. The NESP also focused on improving quality of primary education by focussing the utilisation of regular mechanism as well as undertaking innovative projects to generate favourable atmosphere for gradual improvements in the quality of education. Despite this fact it proved to be unsuitable in the Nepalese context, as the Nepalese as a copy of the western education system severally criticised it. As a consequence of the student movement against the NESP in 1979, several changes were made in the education system and the fundamentals of the NESP got gradually distorted. The examination reform measures adopted by NESP also gradually disappeared from the evaluation process.

In 1982, Seti Education for Rural Development was implemented by the government as an innovation for improving quality of primary education with assistance of UNDP/UNICEF/UNESCO. At the same time, the Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development (CERID) launch an action research Project "Instructional Improvement in Primary Schools (IIPS)" with assistance of IDRC, Canada, to provide a model for improving classroom instruction in the primary education so as to replicate thorought the kingdom. Subsequently, the Primary Education Project was implemented by the Ministry of Education to improve learning by enhancing teachers quality, physical facilities, curriculum, and textbook and developing parental package by taking into consideration the findings of CERID’s action research and Seti Education for Rural Development Project.

Later in 1992, Basic and Primary Education Project (BPEP) and Primary Education Development Project (PEDP) were implemented. The first project aimed at improving the curriculum, textbooks, supervision system, physical facilities and examination system, while the second was launched for training of primary school teachers and other education personnel.

The government has been investing huge resources in the primary education sector. But, a substantial portion of the allocated resource is spent on salaries and allowances. Hardly any budgets left over for other educational inputs. Evaluative reports of different phases indicate that there is no clear evidences yet that the BPEP inputs are resulting in increased learning achievements.

After the reinstatement of multi-party system in 1991 and the publication of National Education Commission report 2049 BS, we have observed some significant changes in the field of education from pre-primary to higher education. At the primary level the changes basically are connected with the curriculum, teacher training, development of instructional materials and management. However, not much has been achieved towards the improvement of the evaluation system. In the context of primary education, the National Education Commission Report 1991 has mentioned that the teaching-learning condition of primary education has been disappointing and the school operation tend to be very irregular whereby actual training is based entirely on rote memorisation. Examination and evaluation are also conducted in a way that gives premium to rote memorisation. Even the teachers who are eager to conduct appropriate classroom teaching can not find an appropriate teaching-learning environment. Most of the primary schools are lacking instructional materials. Even essential teaching aids like blackboard; chalk and duster are not well managed. In consideration of various issues of primary education, the National Education Commission Report 1992 suggested a number of points to bring about improvement in the primary education sector.

Despite the occasional intervention of innovative projects, improvement of classroom instruction and overall enhancement of the quality of education has been a matter of serious concern since long in the primary education sector. The high rate of attrition in the form of dropouts, repetitions and failure has remained to be a serious problem. Very recent studies show that dropout and repetition are mainly the results of parent’s poverty. But it is also true that the learning environment of primary schools has not been able to capture the attention of the children or retain them for learning at the primary level.

In recent years private English boarding schools from primary to secondary levels have been very popular in urban areas and in district headquarters throughout the country of Nepal. This has great impact on the overall low achievements of rural children in public schools. However, no efforts have been made so far to assess to what extent students’ learning and achievement can be enhanced by transforming the positive experiences of the private schools and thereby ensuring the quality primary education in public schools.

Recently His Majesty’s government had formed one Task Force to study the private and residential school and a separate high level executive committee on school education to suggest the policy and implementation strategies in view of the disturbance caused along the demands of some students unions. The reports have been submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sports. These are only snap studies to indicate the issues on this current topic of public concern.

In this connection there is a need to have further study on how students’ learning and achievements are taking place in present primary education in considering of Nepalese perceptions and aspirations to primary education.

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