KHYBER: With the insistence that this move will discourage students from cramming and encourage them to demonstrate their subject-matter knowledge on exam papers, the district education office has implemented a new method for centralized annual examinations based on student learning outcomes.
The yearly intermediate exam administered by the board of intermediate and secondary education, in which papers for every topic are set by subject specialists for all connected educational institutions in a standard pattern, is where the idea for the SLO-based exam system originated, officials told Dawn.
The goal of the SLO-based exam system, according to Abdur Rehman, principal of a government high school in Jamrud and one of the three members of the committee tasked with creating unified exam papers, was to deter students from cramming and to motivate them to respond to questions on exam papers based on their actual subject-matter knowledge.
The “deplorable” outcomes of the grade 9–10 yearly exams from the previous year, he claimed, was another factor in the decision.
Officials claim that this will motivate students to demonstrate their understanding on test papers.
He claimed that in addition to helping to enhance exam results, the new exam system, which has been implemented at the school level for the first time in the Khyber district, will also help pupils’ mental capabilities.
According to Mr. Rehman, Khyber was the first district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to use the SLO-based test system.
He declared, “This system has not yet been adopted by any other school in the province.”
According to the principal, copies of sample exam papers were sent upon request to the education offices in the districts of Bajaur and Peshawar.
According to him, the exam papers created under the new method were divided into two sections: Part I had short, multiple-choice questions, and Part II included longer, more critical questions.
According to Mr. Rehman, the purpose of the papers was to motivate students to write in-depth responses to the questions based on their general subject-matter knowledge.
He said that every precaution was taken when preparing the documents.
“A minimum of twelve proficient subject matter experts were enlisted by a three-person committee to examine and edit fresh papers,” he stated.
The principal said that all of the area schools’ instructors would review and grade those papers.
In the district, the annual exams are currently in progress. They began concurrently at all schools on March 4 and will end on March 25.
Education specialist Bahadar Khan praised the effort and emphasized that the SLO-based system would help teachers and students alike by producing papers of “very good quality.”
He added that the program would help schools avoid having to pay extra for individual exam papers that need to be written and printed.
Senior instructor Sharifullah Afridi of a government school in Landi Kotal expressed appreciation for the new test system and predicted that it would assist teachers at government schools perform better since they would strive to finish their courses on time.
Additionally, he said that the SLO-based test system would eliminate teachers’ “laziness and indolence” and increase their accountability for carrying out their responsibilities.
