CAS is good

Oped >> Opinion

BABU RAM DHUNGANA

NOV 04 - Whe Continuous Assessment System (CAS) is not a new perception in Nepal’s school education, but certainly a rare experience in the student assessment practice. During the period of the BPEP and other small projects, efforts were made to apply it in some primary schools of certain districts of the country. Due to weaknesses in delivering clear knowledge and practical skills on CAS to its principal implementers, those working with the pupils in the classroom, it has not been fully implemented. It has also been criticized as being an inappropriate mechanism with an extra burden and no incentives for the teachers.

Some studies were also carried out to measure its effectiveness. The findings obtained from those studies did not favour continuing its wrong practices. However, the School Sector Reform Plan (SSRP) has envisioned continuing it up to the seventh grade in a new situation as suggested by the Education for All (EFA) Assessment Report in 2002. Before the SSRP, the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) had developed CAS implementation guidelines up to grade three, though it also had some shortcomings in the delivery and implementation mechanism.

The Department of Education (DOE) has spent millions of rupees in the name of CAS activities. Other INGOs have lost their valuable time discussing CAS paper preparation. Teacher training packages could not concentrate on the practical ways of CAS implementation in the classrooms of rural schools. The CDC developed dozens of resource materials, but could not make them available in the rural community schools. It failed to make the concerned people understand the essence of a liberal promotion policy. Unfortunately, people perceived CAS as a way of promoting pupils without enough educational performances. Others argued that it could be possible only in well equipped classrooms conducted by highly academic teachers. Hence, CAS has become a debatable issue in Nepal’s school education.

Increase in access to primary education has shifted towards increase in quality basic education with the arrival of the new millennium. Adequate symptoms were not observed even after implementation of the national action plan of the EFA. It was realized that our educational system needed to be overhauled to amplify its efficiency through a comprehensive programme. The Nepali people’s aspiration to see a new Nepal by means of a modern education system was rising geometrically. The government, development partners and other global peace loving communities had significant pressure to fulfil the people’s need through education. At this moment, the SSRP has appeared as a milestone to achieve this goal in the country. Consequently, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal announced that basic education would be up to grade eight to match the system in the neighbouring countries.

Making policy in an apex part is less important than its application to bring meaningful change. Classroom activities become a priority in an instructional arena keeping the pupils in the centre. The evaluation of the students is the fundamental measure of the success of an education system. It is always considered as the core activity of teaching learning processes. CAS is an effective way of pupils’ evaluation for finding precincts in learning and making corrections for its improvement. It is not the option for students’ evaluation but the energetic way of instruction. It removes the fear of exams among students and keeps them close to the teacher always. A teacher can take immediate action to improve her or his students’ weaknesses and rank their actual position. Today, it has become a common concern of governmental and non-governmental sectors to uplift the status of basic education from its deteriorating situation. In this context, CAS could be a successful measure if it follows a scientific and practical approach.

The major reasons for its weak implementation in the past were poor teacher training and lack of sound guidelines. Poor physical condition in the classroom and a gap in the continuity of the policy were its secondary causes. Messages from the centre could not be propagated to the ground level properly on time. It can be corrected by redesigning the assessment mode, revising the text books and teacher guides, developing relevant resource materials in line with CAS, organizing strong and wide dissemination and tying it with a regular and transparent monitoring mechanism. It is possible only with the coordinated actions of the Department of Education, Curriculum Development Centre and National Centre for Educational Development.

Making of the policy by the ministry, preparing technical guidelines by the CDC, preparing relevant reference materials and creating awareness by the DOE and sending CAS implementation messages with knowledge and skills to the teachers through trainings will be coordinated functions. Incorporating CAS in the teacher preparation courses of the higher education curriculum has been delayed. The effective application of CAS in teachers’ performance appraisal tool could also be included. Development partners also have an important role to support the government working together with different agencies. They can support schools in upgrading the infrastructure working jointly with local governments to create the minimum enabling conditions implementing CAS successfully. Enriching adequate teaching aids in every classroom and reorienting teachers are indispensable activities.

CAS is becoming a popular medication in the long and short courses of the educational programme even in higher and vocational education on the globe. It can never be suggested that CAS be withdrawn from schools whether in remote or urban settings or whether they are being run by the public or private sectors.

(The author is District

Education Officer, Rukum)