New Assessment / Examination Policy by SED for 5th and 8th Class. School Education Department has announced latest assessment or examination policy framework For the primary and elementary level classes in punjab.
1. The Competent Authority is pleased to approve the Assessment Policy Framework (APF) for elementary level of school education in the Punjab.
The APF is the first framework of its nature being presented in the province, under which all assessments shall henceforth be administered in the Punjab in a coherent and meaningful manner.
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2. This policy replaces and repeals previous policy directions covering earlier primary/elementary level assessments/examinations in the province, including the annual examinations held at Classes 5 and 8 by the Punjab Examination Commission (PEC).
The School Education Department (SED) shall hold the overall custodianship of this policy, whereas the Commission overseeing PEC shall supervise technical input on the revision, improvement, and the implementation of the APF by coordinating with relevant line departments of the SED.
such as the Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED) and the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB).
3. The APF is based on a key principle of reform efforts for educational achievement in the Punjab: a shift from assessment as an end in itself towards assessments that support and encourage learning at all levels of the system.
This framework is, therefore, aligned with the underlying principles behind the Government of the Punjab’s vision for school education as outlined in the New Deal 2018-2023.
The scope of the APF is, at present, limited to elementary level of government school education in the Punjab. However, the approach proposed in the framework may also be opted for by private as well as public-private partnership schools.
4. Punjab has lacked, thus far, an overarching policy with which to govern the purpose, classification, nature, design and impact of assessment on educational achievement across its school education system.
The absence of a policy has implications for the types and utility of assessment for student learning, in addition to the tracking of learning priorities by different actors in the schooling process.
5. The present collection of assessments in the province does not make up a consistent, reliable or coherent assessment system that places the learner at its center. To the contrary, current examinations and related forms of assessment are testimony to a system that has evolved to measure learning in a largely sporadic manner.
Therefore, there is a need for a coherent assessment policy framework that can guide and govern all aspects of implementation/decision-making regarding student assessments from ECE to Class 8 in the province.
6. This framework provides clarity about assessment and reporting of student achievement and system performance to policy makers, local education authorities, schools, students, parents, and the wider community.
It also seeks to balance the often competing demands of system accountability and student learning. In this policy, class level refers to the specific year of school about which a discussion is taking place, e.g. Class 5. Class levels refers to all years of schooling, being referred to in plural.
Aims and Objectives of Assessment Policy Framework
This policy acts as a guiding framework for educational assessments across the Punjab up to a minimum of the elementary years (Class 8). Its scope addresses important purposes of assessment that require collaboration across Punjab’s education sector for effective outcomes. The purposes of assessment identified for the purpose of this policy include, but are not limited to:
- System-level diagnosis of performance at various levels (from student and school up to district and provincial levels
- Measurement of change and progression/regression in learning competencies
- Provision of specific feedback to the SED and its line departments (QAED and PCTB, in addition to PEC) on system and school/ student strengths and weaknesses to support educational achievement journeys
- Support to teachers through key feedback loops for continuous and needs- responsive improvement and adjustment in teaching practices
- Support to actors across learning system in the development, implementation and analytical use of assessments to institute stronger teaching and learning practices
- Guidelines for the province in its adoption of global best practices for assessments, as and when required by the Punjab.
Assessment Types
Large Scale Assessment (LSA)
The first type is a sample-based Large Scale Assessment (LSA). This assessment shall entail assessment of core literacy (multilingual) and numeracy skills at key stages of schooling with allowance for additional subjects in special years. as well as participation in international assessments as and when determined by the Government.
An LSA can effectively provide the education system diagnostic evidence for performance, whether of students, schools or higher administrative units within which schools are located.
School-Based Assessment (SBA)
The second type of assessment is a School-Based Assessment (SBA), which shall include a summative form of examination at specific periods in time and formative assessments throughout the year. As the summative assessment process becomes more firmly established across the province, formative assessment shall also gradually gain strength.
This shall occur primarily through continuous, low- stake, teacher-led assessments to monitor student performance and maintain needs-responsiveness in their own teaching practices.
