Bihar has improved a lot and many changes have taken place in the field of education, said Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) chairperson Nidhi Chhibber here on June 16.
She was responding to a query on the mass cheating and topper scams in the examinations conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) earlier.
She also stressed on the steps being taken by the CBSE for the overall development of students. She was in Patna to take part in the two-day National Conclave of Examination Boards. Representatives from 32 examination boards from 23 States are attending the event. The CBSE is the lead partner of the conclave.
“BSEB has done a great work by organising the conclave and giving an opportunity to all the State boards to come together to discuss issues of mutual interest happening in the field of education generally, and specifically in the field of assessment. I hope the two-day conclave will benefit the participants and we will go back much more enriched. We are ready to face the challenges specially thrown up by the new National Education Policy (NEP).”
When The Hindu asked about the infamous mass cheating and topper scams in Bihar, Ms. Chhibber said, “Bihar has come a long way from there and has improved the system, but there is much more scope also. The Bihar Government is imparting good education to students, in fact every State has this aim that it should come up at the national level in all competitive exams and Bihar is no exception.”
Ms. Chhibber stated that apart from bookish knowledge, the CBSE is working on the personality development of students to make them good citizens with less stress. She also stressed upon building the competency of students as well as teachers and making the classes more interactive.
BSEB Chairman Anand Kishor, Additional Chief Secretary of the Bihar Education Department K. K. Pathak and Chief Secretary Amir Subhani were present. The conclave was organised to discuss a reform roadmap and to share best practices.
The participants included Bhagirath Shetye, Chairman of Goa Board; Anil Kumar Mahto, Chairman of Jharkhand Academic Council; Suresh Kumar Sharma, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Board; Takhellambam Ojit Singh, Chairman of Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur; and V.P. Yadav, Chairman, Board of School Education, Haryana.
The way forward in digital age
On the objective behind such an event, Mr. Kishor said the different examination boards of the country have been facing different issues, challenges and have multiple agendas to work upon. These would be discussed during the two-day conclave. “It would be a great learning lesson for all of us. New types of technology and digital avalanche have taken place in the last few years. It is all the more important to think of a way forward,” he said.
Mr. Pathak said: “We all know that when we took the exam, the system was different. Thirty years hence, the pattern of examination would be different. In the age of artificial intelligence, god knows how the examination would be conducted, how the technology will shape our lives and how the technology is going to shape the very concept of examination itself. Such brainstorming sessions are very important, particularly in the sector we are working in.”
