Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 12: The School Education Department (SED) today announced that the annual examination for Class 8 students across Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted through in-house Summative Assessments beginning this academic session.
An order issued by the department said the move is part of a major reform initiative aimed at aligning the student evaluation system with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the provisions of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
The reform, SED said, seeks to shift from rote-based learning to a holistic, competency-based, and formative framework designed to foster critical thinking and conceptual clarity among learners.
According to Government Order No. 468-JK(Edu) of 2024, dated November 6, 2024, the Annual Summative Assessment (SA) for Class 8 shall be conducted by respective schools-both Government and recognized private institutions, SED stated.
As per the schedule under the new framework, results in the Winter Zone will be declared before October 25, with new classes commencing from November 1.
In the Summer Zone, results will be declared before March 20, and new sessions will begin from April 1.
The framework emphasizes continuous regular assessment and remedial support to ensure that every student successfully transitions to Class 9.
To facilitate schools, the department has notified a general framework for the conduct of annual assessments across all classes, with special focus on Class 8.
It stipulates that regular formative assessments through School-Based Assessment (SBA) shall be conducted for all grades, while Summative Assessments (SA) or annual examinations will take place at the individual school level under the supervision of respective Cluster or Complex Heads.
As per the NEP 2020 structure, SED said, Classes 5 and 8-being the terminal stages of the Preparatory and Middle levels-will receive particular emphasis in the assessment process.
Students who do not achieve the expected competency levels will undergo additional remedial teaching, it noted.
Following this support, a supplementary attempt will be conducted based on the same identified competencies.
SED stated that to ensure effective monitoring, District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) will maintain a comprehensive database of all Class 8 students, with data routed through Cluster Heads.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and DIETs have been tasked with building the capacity of teachers and Cluster Heads for the successful implementation of the new framework.
School Heads have been directed to prepare common assessment tools or question papers confidentially, particularly targeting competencies where the district has shown weak performance as reflected in the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan-2024 report.
Principal DIETs, in collaboration with Chief Education Officers, Cluster Heads, and Zonal Education Officers, have been asked to prepare and issue the date sheet for the Summative Assessments under the overall supervision of the Director of School Education.
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