SHILLONG: In a bid to improve the evaluation process and address concerns over low pass percentages, Education Minister, Rakkam A Sangma, has announced plans to introduce a step-marking system in the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE).
The step-marking system, Sangma explained, allocates marks for the steps taken to arrive at a solution, even if the final answer is incorrect.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Sangma highlighted the government’s commitment to examining the feasibility of implementing this system in Meghalaya.
He highlighted the discrepancy between the current evaluation system and those adopted by national boards like CBSE and ICSE, which incorporate grading and marking systems.
“In these systems, if a student’s final answer is incorrect but the process is correct, they still receive partial marks. This stands in contrast to Meghalaya’s current system, where an incorrect final answer results in zero marks, he told the press.
Sangma elaborated, stating, “In the CBSE and ICSE pattern if the process is correct but in the last line the answer is wrong that student will still get 4 marks or 3 marks.”
The decision to explore the implementation of the step-marking system comes amidst concerns over the low pass percentage in MBoSE’s Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination.
Despite slight improvements, with a pass percentage of 55.80% in the recently announced Class 10 examinations, the consistent low pass rates remain a pressing issue for educationists and stakeholders in Meghalaya.
While the government maintains that the syllabus of the board aligns with national standards, the persistent challenge of low pass rates underscores the need for innovative approaches to evaluation and assessment.
With the potential introduction of the step-marking system, Meghalaya aims to align its evaluation methods with national standards and provide students with a fair and equitable assessment process.
