Panaji: The Goa state council for educational research and training (GSCERT) will use holistic progress cards from the current academic year, instead of evaluating school students only based on marks scored by them in an exam.The new system of holistic progress cards has been introduced under National Education Policy, 2020, and initially, GSCERT had planned to test implementation this academic year only in select govt schools.The council is conducting simultaneous exams from grade I to VIII in Oct, where it will provide standardised question papers to govt and aided schools. The results will be compiled from Oct into holistic progress cards, which assess the students on 60 parameters. It is a multidimensional assessment that measures practical skills, creativity, behavioural values, and physical development.“Schools will have to evaluate the students’ answer scripts at the school level using the suggestive model answer key, which will be shared by GSCERT shortly after the conduct of the examination. The holistic progress card (HPC) shall be implemented in all schools with effect from the academic year 2026-2027. Schools shall prepare the HPC for all students strictly in accordance with the format prescribed by GSCERT, which will be shared separately,” schools have been told.Last year, the common exam was held by GSCERT only from grades III to VIII, and has been extended to classes starting from grade I this year.It is an NEP requirement as these holistic progress cards record every aspect of the child’s academic, physical, and social development. There will be peer analysis, assessment by teachers, inputs taken from parents. While the holistic progress cards were introduced last year at the central level, Goa wanted to give time to the teachers to adjust to the new curriculum changes first.The holistic progress card replaces traditional marksheets with multidimensional evaluations. It shifts focus away from rote learning, tracking a student’s cognitive, behavioural, health,and life-skill development, alongside academic performance.It also provides for competency tracking, focusing on real-world application rather than exam scores.The HPC will also record key health indicators such as height, weight, and fitness levels, ensuring regular monitoring of students’ physical development.Teachers will assess students throughout the academic session by observing their classroom participation, activities and behaviour, rather than relying on periodic examinations.The new system is expected to reduce the pressure of scoring high marks while helping teachers identify individual strengths and weaknesses more effectively.
