The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Overwhelming numbers of students have been failing their exams recently much to dismay of many students and parents alike. This has been mainly attributed to ministry of education issuing new assessment criteria in June 2021 which mandated students from class IV to XII to obtain a minimum of 40 percent in both Continuous Assessment and written examination to pass the exam and also because of the fact that students had to take up online classes last year.
“Earlier, even if students scored 30 to 35 percent in written examination, they would get pass marks when the score was combined with the continuous assessment marks. Similarly, if a student scored zero in CA but managed to score about 60 percent in written examination, it would actually mean the student passed the exams. But now this is not the case. Now the CA and written exams are independent of each other and pass marks of both are required in order to pass the exam,” Lyonchhen cited an during the 45th meet the press conference.
Lyonchhen added that this measure was necessary to improve the quality of education and a student needed to be all rounded and wholesome in order to pass the exam.
Now the new assessment system ensures that students not only have to worry about just passing the written exam, but also getting good grades from CA by doing their home works on time, maintaining good conduct in school, keeping track of their everyday learning from weekly tests etc, participation in class, presentations etc.
“In order to increase the level of competency of the students, the new assessment system ensures that students are kept on their toes 12 months a year, which means every day. The students will learn not only for the sake of passing the exams but for the sake of gaining knowledge and for learning to take place. If the new education system ensures that students become more competitive, more knowledgeable and more dedicated, then it doesn’t matter if they fail the exams this year, they will be offered another chance to better themselves. Otherwise parents, teachers and students will just be complacent if the students can just pass so easily. So I am fully in favor of the new education system,” PM added.
A government officer said that despite his son scoring 75 percent in exam, he still failed this year but he is happy because it will help him in the long run.
Despite the change being a positive one, it didn’t necessarily become a welcomed one as some students, especially those who failed the exams, were not very happy about the change.
