Changes announced by the National Institute of Open Schooling

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) declared the year starting with 15th August 2003 as year of “Quality Education” and has announced some important changes, along with justifications for the changes.

1. Flexibility regarding “no minimum qualification” “no age bar” for getting admission in NIOS, introduced from 2001 academic session, is under review.

   I don't understand why the NIOS should be worried about an age limit. How old the student is when he/she is admitted should be irrelevant if he or she is able to do well in the exam. I hope the review doesn't result in introduction of an age limit. I don't see why there should be a minimum qualification either. As long as the student writes the exam and passes the exam, what the student did, or did not do, before writing the exam should be irrelevant.

2. Complete flexibility extended in choosing of subjects, introduced in 2003 admission, thus dispensing with language as a compulsory subject at pre degree level, has been withdrawn and status quo ante has been restored by making language compulsory (subject to a minimum of one and maximum of two) keeping in line with other Central Boards.

   As against Para 3.2 (page 7 of the Prospectus 2003-04), pass in five subjects, including at least one but not more than two languages shall be required for Certification.

   Justification provided: The students of NIOS are not put to hardship at the time of admission for Higher Education.

   This is a good move. Proficiency in at least one language is desirable.

3. The decision taken earlier, giving unlimited chances, (as against one prevalent in other Central Boards), for improvement of performance in NIOS examinations, has been withheld for further review by the Academic Committee

   Justification provided: To ensure that the quality of examination is not compromised and the uniformity with other School Boards is maintained.

4. The system of giving 20% weightage to Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA) in final results of the students in NIOS introduced from 2002 examination has been discontinued, subject to TMA being made compulsory and the relative grading in TMA being shown in the final certificate and the separate column (Grade obtained in TMA). Implement vide notification dated December 03 (Appendix -B).

   The decision taken earlier to introduce Grading System has been deferred pending a review.

   Justification provided: The standards and quality are maintained on par with other Central Boards.

5. To revert back to the old system prevailing prior to Oct 2000 and Accredited Institutions (AIs) delinked from examination centres and the exam centres fixed in Navodaya Vidyalayas, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Government aided schools & other reputed institutes. Under compelling circumstances in the absence of schools/institutes mentioned above, an AI may be made examination centre provided Centre Superintendent and the staff employed for examination do not work/belong to that AI.

   The process of selection of Institution for accreditation has been tightened by entirely revamping the existing panel of team of persons for inspection of AIs. A decision has also been taken to fix responsibility if at a later stage it is found that the AI did not have the prescribed infrastructure.

   Instead of AIs receiving the application and giving admission to students a proposal for having 'Online Admission’ and Regional Centres allotting the students to various AIs is being considered Ed. CIL has been entrusted to study and formulate the system in this regard.

   A review is being conducted to make the study material a priced publication, instead of cost of study materials being included in the fees charged & supplying the materials free of cost to students.

   Justification provided: The malpractice obtaining in certain Accredited Institutions is completely eliminated, as the major area of concern of NIOS is about credibility of NIOS and certificates issued by it.

6. Admissions:
   
   • Facilities of online admission on Web and Post Offices, Banks etc. to be introduced.
     This would be very helpful to enable students to get themselves admitted easily.
     

   • Scheme of direct admission for examination to be reviewed as it is not serving any useful purpose.

     According to the NIOS web site, at present there are two channels available to Students for joining NIOS in order to get evaluated and certified in the Secondary stage of school education. These are:
     

     1. By taking admission through Accredited Institutions (AIs), done once a year in the month of July-September: These Students receive study materials of NIOS, attend Personal Contact Programme and submit their Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs) at their AIs. The TMA in each subject carries a weightage of 20 marks. The public examination is of 80 marks for these Students. These Students will have to appear in the examination in the subjects they have opted during admission. They may however, change their subjects or take additional subject by 15th October for April examinations and by 15th April for October examination.
        
     2. By Direct Registration for Examinations done twice a year in the month of May and November in the Regional Centres of NIOS: Since these Students are not attached to any AI they do not receive any study material. Instead they have to procure study materials from the open market. No personal contact programmes are held for these Students and the scheme of TMA is not applicable for them. Thus the final public examinations carry a weightage of 100 marks for these students. The marks obtained out of 80 in the final examinations are raised proportionately to make it out of 100. These Students can change their examination subjects any time. They will be examined in the subjects they write in their examination forms.
     
     They are proposing that students can only appear from exams if they register with an AI, which seems reasonable.
     

   • Minimum educational qualification and minimum age need to be prescribed in admissions in Secondary and Sr. Secondary courses
     As mentioned earlier, I don't understand why the NIOS should be worried about an age limit. How old the student is when he/she is admitted should be irrelevant if he or she is able to do well in the exam. I hope the review doesn't result in introduction of an age limit. I don't see why there should be a minimum qualification either. As long as the student writes the exam and passes the exam, what the student did, or did not do, before writing the exam should be irrelevant.