•CBSE schools in Kochi have embraced a new evaluation system, moving away from traditional marks or grades and instead using emojis or stars to assess student performance. This shift aligns with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and CBSE guidelines, introducing a "holistic report card" for students from kindergarten to Class II that focuses on evaluating children based on their activities rather than written exams.
• The new system emphasizes skills such as communication, active learning, and overall health and well-being, and students are assessed through project work, inquiry-based tasks, quizzes, and group activities that test their cognitive, emotional, social abilities, and physical coordination. Self-assessment, peer feedback, and parent input are also incorporated into the evaluation process.
• While the new evaluation system has received positive feedback for reducing performance pressure and promoting early intervention in social skill development, educationists caution against monotony and emphasize the need for teachers to remain consistently creative with evaluation methods. The schools plan to expand the holistic report card to younger classes in the coming months and eventually implement it for higher grades up to Grade IX.