The Delhi government issued guidelines to its schools on Wednesday for the assessment of students up to Class 8, ruling out offline examinations and instead, asking them to grade the students on the basis of projects and assignments.

The guidelines of the Directorate of Education (DoE) have been issued to the government-run and aided schools for assessment for the 2020-21 academic session, during which schools were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and all teaching and learning activities were conducted online.

According to government officials, private schools will prepare their own schedule and decide on the modalities on their own.

"Since no classroom teaching and learning has taken place at the primary and middle level, the formal mode of pen-and-paper assessment will be replaced by a subjectwise assessment of projects and assignments for Classes 3 to 8," the DoE said in an official order.

According to the guidelines, for Classes 3 to 5, 30 marks will be for assessment based on worksheets, 30 for the assignments given in winter breaks and 40 for the assignments and projects provided from March 1 to 15.

Similarly, for Classes 6 to 8, 20 marks will be for assessment based on worksheets, 30 for the assignments given in winter breaks and 50 for the assignments and projects provided from March 1 to 15.

"In case a student does not have access to a digital device or internet, the assignments and projects will be given in hard copies by calling his parents to the school while following the Covid-19 guidelines.

"While allotting the assignments and projects, the subject teachers will explain the nature and method of attempting the worksheets. They will also keep in mind that words hurting religious sentiments related to caste, contradictory statements having double meaning etc. will not be part of the assignments and projects," the order said.

The DoE also said the students should not be called to school for the results, which should be intimated to them through digital means, text messages or phone calls.

"Private schools will take their own decision about assessment and act accordingly," another senior government official said.

The DoE has also issued guidelines for assessment of students from the KG level to Class 2.

"The students of Classes KG to 2 will be given grades on the basis of the winter break assignments and responses to the worksheets shared during the pandemic through WhatsApp or any offline means.

"All the currently enrolled students of Classes nursery to 2 shall be promoted to the next class. However, the purpose of the assessment is to understand the impact of the alternative-learning approach that needed to be adopted under the prevailing circumstances this year. The teachers will not ask the students or parents to submit or resubmit any worksheet issued previously," the DoE said.

Schools were closed in March last year, ahead of a nationwide lockdown, to curb the spread of the coronavirus. While several states reopened schools from October onwards, the Delhi government has allowed reopening of Classes 9 to 12 from January 18.

The board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 will be conducted from May 4. The students of Classes 9 and 11 will have offline exams in accordance with the schedule decided by the schools.