semester system

Semester
SystemOur Education system is divided into two major parts-school
education and college education.
The school education consists of elementary secondary and senior
secondary stages.
The college education also consists of three stages-graduation, post
graduation and research degree level.
First public examination is conducted at the end of secondary stage
(class X), second at the end of senior secondary education (class
XII), and after this examination are held every year. After one year
of instructions a public examination is conducted by the institution.
Every student has to appear in an examination after one year or
academic session.
An academic session is the duration of teaching, approximately
equivalent to one year between two successive annual
examination.

In semester system each academic year is
divided into equal parts of about six months
each semester- I and II semester. So, a
semester is a period of six months during
which teaching work is conducted. After
the end of the teaching work of the six
months, examinations are held. In this
system examinations are held half-yearly
instead of yearly.
What Semester
System means

○ Carrying out the teaching work more regularly and
comprehensively by using interdisciplinary approach, mutual
corporation and new instructional strategies.
○ Making the syllabus more broad-based with main subjects
including core and elective subjects.
○ Providing greater variety of subject area to suit the
intellectual, motivational requirements of the students.
○ Reducing unnecessary stress and strain before and during
teaching and examination period and making learning
purposeful, pleasant and joyful activity.
○ Making teaching-learning more broad-based by including
class discussion, tutorials, assignments and library work.
○ Introducing a system that can receive continuous feedback for
improvement of learning experience so as to make them more
effective.
The implementation of
semester system

 In the traditional system, the whole educative process is aimed at fulfilling
the requirements of examination and teacher has no time for development
activities due to pressing demand of completing course.
 The system provides for introduction of greater flexibility in the curriculum
and students have variety of courses open to them. This strengthens their
knowledge base and provides flexibility in making future educational and
vocational choices.
 The teaching-learning process is constantly monitored by teachers through
tests, assignments, classroom discussion and personal interaction with the
students.
 The concept of credit hours is more good thing to engage students in
learning. We don’t allow a candidate to appear in an examination unless
he/she completes certain percentage of class attendance.
 The performance of the students is assessed not only in term of
achievement scores obtained in tests, but also in terms of effort put in as
measured by the credit hour.
Essential Features of
the System

 Students develop the habit of regular stud, sense of punctuality and
work ethics.
 Semester system requires a flexible and broad based curriculum to
allow interdisciplinary approach of teaching and learning. The
teachers are not in the habit of taking pain.
 The teaching schedule will have to be adjusted to suit the
requirements of flexibility of courses. Teaching not only requires
well planned time-table, but also expert teachers capable of
organizing such programmes.
 The implementation of continuous internal assessment demands
greater involvement of teachers by enhancing their workload. Due to
large enrollment figures the teachers are already overburdened with
teaching load.
Problems and Issues of
Semester System

It is examination that decides as to who should be admitted to the
upper socio-economic elite group and who should not be.
Many ambitious persons from lower socio-economic have climbed
up the ladder of educational and social development by developing
in them skills of passing examination.
It is also alleged that examinations permanently categorize
individuals. For example, if a child’s intelligence as measured by a
test is found to be low, he may be classified as un-teachable or un-
educable by teachers.
Certainly tests assess only limited aspect of human behavior.
Thus, it is not reasonable to take any conclusive decision on the
basis of performance on a single test. It is commonly experienced
that tests and examinations create anxiety.
The psychological side-effects of examinations are many. It is
possible to observe stress and strain before and during examination
in most school and college students.
Social Role of Examinations

 When an examination favors a group or class of society against the
interests of other groups which are subjected to dis-advantage, it is
termed as “unfair” or “biased”.
 Every society has groups distinguished by wealth, class, casts, creed
which must gain, or be denied advantage by some aspects of any social
process like assessment an selection.
 The children of working class cannot take advantage of educational
opportunities because examinations are “culture loaded” and hence have
class bias.
 The upper and upper-middle classes can take advantage of this bias by
dint of cultural capital of their parents.
 There is gradual filtration in the system and by the time the first public
examination arrives after ten year of schooling.
 Large proportion of lower socio-economic children is not longer part of
examination part and is unable to perform even to the average level.
Meaning of Social Bias

Institutional Bias
 Superiority of students from private high fee charging schools is clearly visible.
 Institutions compete in showing good examination results either to attract
public interest or increased funds from the government.
 The elite classes choose to send their children to quality institutions and the
poor masses are compelled to send their children to poor quality institutions
run by government. These institutions are of poor quality because they show
poor examination results.
 The English medium schools which are mostly private are popular among
upper class society.
 It is at this level that a decision is taken by the society as to “who” will become
“what” in future.
 Higher education can be divided into general education and professional
education.
 In general education an open door policy of admission is followed accepting
everybody who desires higher education.
 Professional education has become the privilege of upper classes.
 Professional institutions have adopt a policy of selective examinations.

 Examinations are also charged of sex-bias.
 Examinations discriminate between boys and girls in in certain areas of
knowledge.
 Male students choose subjects as mathematics, physics and engineering
whereas female students enter subject like chemistry, biology, psychology
and languages. Medicine and education attract large number of girls
professionally.
 Some research studies have shown that boys perform better in subjects
requiring mathematical and spatial abilities, and girls show higher
performance on subjects requiring verbal ability.
 If examinations in these subjects are properly oriented to suit the
requirements of both the sexes the situation may change.

semester system

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semester system