National Education Policy recommends the semester system for classes 9 to 10

If implemented, the students of classes 9 to 10 will be examined in eight semesters for these four years of secondary education which presently has annual exams. According to the present system there are only two annual board examinations in classes 10 and 12.

Besides restructuring the school education into 5+3+3+4 design against the existing 5+3+2+2, the draft of National Education Policy (NEP) 2019 has also proposed to introduce semester system from class IX standard onwards.

“Each year of the secondary stage – Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12; will be divided into 2 semesters, for a total of 8 semesters. Each student would take 5 to 6 subjects in each semester. There will be some essential common subjects for all, while simultaneously there will be great flexibility in selecting elective courses including in the arts, vocational subjects, and physical education,” said the K. Kasturirangan committee at P4.1.1. d. of the report. “The notions of higher secondary or junior college will be eliminated; Grades 11 and 12 will be considered an integral part of the secondary stage,” added the recommendations.

According to the existing system, the annual examinations are conducted by respective boards of the Central or state government in Grades 10 and 12 but the examinations but students are assessed internally. If approved, the students will be examined on a semester basis for these four years of secondary education.

The committee has also suggested restructuring of the school education system by including children as young as three years into the formal education system which is presently six years. As per the existing provisions, primary education constitutes from Grade 1 to 5 in which a six-year-old student can seek admission. The committee has proposed to replace primary education with Foundational Stage in which three-year-old could seek admission. This five years Foundational Stage would constitute three years of the play schools and two years of the existing primary education. The detailed design of the proposed school education is as under:

1.    Foundational Stage: This stage will be of five years comprising three years of the existing play school system and Grade 1 and Grade 2 of primary education. Children as young as three years will be admitted and pass out this stage at the age of about eight years.

2.    Preparatory Stage: The remaining three years of the existing primary education – grades 3, 4 and 5 will be covered in this stage.

3.    Middle or Upper Primary: This stage is the same as the existing middle schools or upper primary stage.

4.    High Stage or Secondary Stage: Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the existing system have been clubbed under this. The existing division of secondary and higher secondary will be done away with. These four years have been divided into eight semesters.