The Education Testing Service (ETS) CEO, Walt MacDonald, has expressed his support for India’s newly formed national assessment regulator, PARAKH. He believes that PARAKH will help bring uniformity across different school boards and improve the quality of education in the country. In this article, we will explore more about PARAKH and its significance in the Indian education system.

What is PARAKH?

PARAKH stands for Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development. It is India’s first-ever national assessment regulator, set up by the Ministry of Education in 2022. The primary objective of PARAKH is to ensure that the assessments conducted in schools and higher education institutions across the country are standardized and of high quality. PARAKH aims to bring about a paradigm shift in the assessment system and move away from the rote-learning approach to a more comprehensive and holistic assessment of students’ knowledge.

The Need for PARAKH

India has a diverse education system, with various school boards, universities, and assessment bodies. This has led to disparities in the quality of education and assessments across different regions and boards. PARAKH aims to address this issue by bringing about uniformity in the assessment process and ensuring that the assessments are of high quality, relevant, and comprehensive. This will help in creating a level playing field for all students and provide them with equal opportunities to succeed.

The Role of PARAKH

PARAKH will be responsible for developing assessment standards, frameworks, and guidelines for different levels of education. It will also conduct audits and reviews of the assessment systems to ensure that they meet the required standards. PARAKH will work with different school boards, universities, and assessment bodies to implement the new assessment standards and ensure that the assessments are aligned with the learning objectives.

Impact of PARAKH

PARAKH is expected to have a significant impact on the Indian education system. It will help in creating a standardized assessment process, which will provide a better understanding of the students’ knowledge and skills. This will enable teachers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their students and help them to design their teaching strategies accordingly. PARAKH will also help in improving the quality of education and make it more relevant to the changing needs of the society.

Conclusion

PARAKH is a significant step towards improving the quality of education in India. It will bring about uniformity in the assessment process and ensure that the assessments are of high quality, relevant, and comprehensive. With the support of organizations like ETS, PARAKH is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future of education in India.