PARAKH (Syllabus GS Paper 2 – Social Justice)

Context: The National Council for Educational and Research Training (NCERT) has introduced a new “holistic” report card PARAKH that incorporates feedback from parents, classmates, and even self-evaluation by students to track their overall progress regularly.

PARAKH

• About: PARAKH, a standard-setting body under the NCERT, has developed the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) catering to foundational, preparatory, and middle stages of education.
• Adoption and Adaptation Across States: The NCERT has urged all states to either adopt or adapt the HPC according to their specific educational requirements.
• Shift from Traditional Assessment Methods: Historically reliant on year-end exams, the HPC aligns with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) to provide a more "learner-centric" approach, departing from exclusive focus on exam scores.
• Comprehensive Evaluation Criteria: The HPC goes beyond academic performance, evaluating diverse skills, competencies, socio-emotional abilities, and creativity during class activities.
• Evaluation and Student Participation: The HPC promotes a descriptive form of evaluation where students actively participate, assessing not only their own performance but also that of their classmates.
• Building Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem: Aligned with the NEP 2020, the HPC aims to enhance students' self-awareness and self-esteem by communicating strengths and areas for improvement.
• Ambition Card for Middle Stage: The HPC for the middle stage includes an "ambition card," allowing students to outline their ambitions for the year and identify areas for improvement, skills, and habits to develop.
• Parental Involvement and Linking Home: The HPC bridges the gap between home and school by integrating parents into the child’s learning process, incorporating their insights on homework, classroom engagement, and balancing screen time with extracurricular activities.