“The reasons behind the emergence of ‘dummy schools’ will be examined and the panel will study their role in encouraging full-time coaching at the cost of formal schooling and suggest ways to mitigate them,” the official said.“The role and impact of formative assessments at school and higher education levels will be assessed and how their absence affects students’ conceptual understanding and preparedness for competitive examinations. The panel will also analyse the rising demand for quality higher education, limited availability of seats in premier institutions and how the imbalance drives students towards coaching institutes,” he told PTI.Evaluating the awareness levels among students and parents regarding multiple career pathways and the impact of this lack of awareness on the over-dependence on a few elite institutions; assessing the availability and effectiveness of career counselling services in schools and colleges and suggesting measures for strengthening career guidance frameworks, are among other terms of reference of the committee.Other members of the panel include the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) chairman; joint secretaries from school education and higher education departments; representatives of IIT-Madras, NIT-Trichy, IIT-Kanpur and NCERT; and principals of schools (one each from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya and a private school).The move comes following complaints received by the Centre about rising cases of student suicides, accidents, lack of facilities in coaching institutes.
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