"Debarred for cheating in exams".
In most of the states, the SSLC and HSC exams are on the verge of conclusion. For the students, a much hyped psychological barrier has been completed. This is also the time when we read news of students commiting suicides due to poor performances and news such as " the flying invigilation squad of the PU education department successfully caught 4 students cheating in exams .The students have been debarred for one year,said the chief of the vigilance squad". What a joke.
I would like to spare a moment for these students who have been outdone by the alacrity of the successful education department's vigilance squad. There are times when students are alleged to have copied because something was found written on their desk or a scrambled piece of paper was found near their legs etc etc. Some invigilators bask in the reputation that they are known to have a terrific eye to catch students trying to cheat, so watch out if he is coming. It is like telling children stories of Crime-master gogo coming to take you away if you do not eat your vegetables.
Such actions are typical of our system. So far only Mr.Rairam Jamesh is the only one who has realised that some parts of our education system, like wearing convocation gowns are archaic. I hope this realisation will open the floodgates to the correction course of our educational system.To the problems of students cheating in exams or failing thereafter we don't have a better way to " teach these students a lesson" than by debarring them for a year which is definitely bound to make them realise their mistake in society and enable them to emerge stronger and reformed students of society with a renewed ambition and will to make the best of life thereafter, lest they ruin their opportunity to benefit from the wonderful education system in India.
Cheating in exams, suicides, pass percentages, the number of students taking private tuitions,number of drop-outs do not seem to be indicators to the government that something is wrong with the way they are running the cause of education.All those indicators are flaws in people and not necessitated by government policy and approach to the humungous task of providing education to all.
Some change is taking place with ministers like Mr.Sapil Kibal suggesting measures to abolish exams, introduce common syllabus across the country,abolish the UGC and AICTE and set up new statutory bodies etc.So the people employed by UGC will now become people employed by the new body and this change will give them the much needed conscience and motivation to turn things around. There is even a "Right to Education" bill now. How all this will help will be known only later on.
In my opinion, the biggest drawback of our education system is that it does not give people a "second chance". If someone has ended up with say 49% marks he is not eligible even to apply for so many courses as compared to someone who has secured 1% more since 50% is the minimum cut-off to apply for a next higher course. So even if there is a sincere motivation in a student to make up for his lesser marks and pursue a higher education in a subject of his desire, those aspirations will be put paid to cut-off marks and policies. This knowledge being common, it adds pressure on the students at every level of their educated lifespan. A desire to move ahead is doused by the cold water of qualification norms. No logical ability or aptitude is tested and neither is a "second opportunity" provided by means of purely only evaluating performance in entrance tests. These are all linked to one's previous record. I'm not saying that B.Com student should be allowed to take up a PG in Medicine based only on entrance test and aptitude. But in a level like HSC or SSLC providing a quick second opportunity for students will go a long way in changing the face of education in India.
We have an obsession with Board exams,What else can explain introduction of board exams at the 7th standard level in states like Karnataka. We have a long way to go, not in changing our education system but in changing the beliefs and attitudes of the people who run the system.
I would like to spare a moment for these students who have been outdone by the alacrity of the successful education department's vigilance squad. There are times when students are alleged to have copied because something was found written on their desk or a scrambled piece of paper was found near their legs etc etc. Some invigilators bask in the reputation that they are known to have a terrific eye to catch students trying to cheat, so watch out if he is coming. It is like telling children stories of Crime-master gogo coming to take you away if you do not eat your vegetables.
Such actions are typical of our system. So far only Mr.Rairam Jamesh is the only one who has realised that some parts of our education system, like wearing convocation gowns are archaic. I hope this realisation will open the floodgates to the correction course of our educational system.To the problems of students cheating in exams or failing thereafter we don't have a better way to " teach these students a lesson" than by debarring them for a year which is definitely bound to make them realise their mistake in society and enable them to emerge stronger and reformed students of society with a renewed ambition and will to make the best of life thereafter, lest they ruin their opportunity to benefit from the wonderful education system in India.
Cheating in exams, suicides, pass percentages, the number of students taking private tuitions,number of drop-outs do not seem to be indicators to the government that something is wrong with the way they are running the cause of education.All those indicators are flaws in people and not necessitated by government policy and approach to the humungous task of providing education to all.
Some change is taking place with ministers like Mr.Sapil Kibal suggesting measures to abolish exams, introduce common syllabus across the country,abolish the UGC and AICTE and set up new statutory bodies etc.So the people employed by UGC will now become people employed by the new body and this change will give them the much needed conscience and motivation to turn things around. There is even a "Right to Education" bill now. How all this will help will be known only later on.
In my opinion, the biggest drawback of our education system is that it does not give people a "second chance". If someone has ended up with say 49% marks he is not eligible even to apply for so many courses as compared to someone who has secured 1% more since 50% is the minimum cut-off to apply for a next higher course. So even if there is a sincere motivation in a student to make up for his lesser marks and pursue a higher education in a subject of his desire, those aspirations will be put paid to cut-off marks and policies. This knowledge being common, it adds pressure on the students at every level of their educated lifespan. A desire to move ahead is doused by the cold water of qualification norms. No logical ability or aptitude is tested and neither is a "second opportunity" provided by means of purely only evaluating performance in entrance tests. These are all linked to one's previous record. I'm not saying that B.Com student should be allowed to take up a PG in Medicine based only on entrance test and aptitude. But in a level like HSC or SSLC providing a quick second opportunity for students will go a long way in changing the face of education in India.
We have an obsession with Board exams,What else can explain introduction of board exams at the 7th standard level in states like Karnataka. We have a long way to go, not in changing our education system but in changing the beliefs and attitudes of the people who run the system.
Comments
Post a Comment