How your kid’s ‘happiness’ will be evaluated

NEW DELHI: How does

Delhi government

plan to

evaluate students

in a subject like

“happiness curriculum”

that has

no tests

? It will be done through regular evaluation of students, measured through changes in

behaviour

and by observing “status of happiness in the life of the child”. Teachers will be expected to “evaluate” children over

three stages

: daily, weekly/monthly and yearly.

As per a handbook provided to teachers, the evaluation will need to see the child’s progress in a holistic manner, given that every kid has a different pace. While there are no written exams and marking system, students will be assessed on parameters like attentiveness in class, coordination between their words and actions, etc.

“The teachers will be actively engaged in the classes through stories, conversations and debates, and the diary (to be maintained by them) will reflect on the changes in a teacher’s behaviour as well,” a directorate of education official said.

In the first stage, a teacher will be expected to “transact” the entire curriculum through prescribed activities, followed by discussions, which will help them assess the change in a student’s attitude. The second assessment will be done on a weekly and monthly basis, which will be an analysis of the child over time. This assessment will have to be recorded in a diary and on an online module.

The final level is planned to be done at the end of the year or semester, by compiling weekly or monthly reports. According to the handbook, the records can be anything from videos, audios, photographs or even projects.

The education department has planned a series of training sessions for teachers. Government

school

teachers’ association president Ajay Veer Yadav, however, said: “Teachers have to do what they are told. We run on circular-to-circular basis. Teachers are overburdened, how can they keep children happy?”

Another DoE official, on condition of anonymity, pointed out that while the concept was appreciable, they would have to wait and watch on what happened to it as it got implemented.