Education Reforms

The proposal by Mr. Kapil Sibal to make the class X board exams optional, and then ultimately doing away with class XII exams as well, is prima facie quite pragmatic. Instead he has proposed a grading system to evaluate the performance of the students. Among the reasons cited by him include the fact, that such board exams are traumatizing to the students, and the purpose of education should not be to traumatize any student.

I am sure that those of us are in their late thirties and beyond would recall that the first tryst with examinations we faced, was while in the kinder gardens itself , at a tender age of five or six. Besides the much potent threat of ‘failing’, and the social stigma attached with it, we also had to contend with rankings right since those days itself. Those who were among the last ten rankers in the class, were virtually treated as outcastes by others, while those among the top five rankers were looked upon with awe, with everyone clamouring to be among their close friends.

Such tough and often difficult academic environment with all its ‘so called negative impact or traumatizing effect’ on we kids those days, in fact toughened us besides familiarizing us with the concept of competition, right since our primary school itself. Further manifestation of such ‘competitive spirit’ was revealed on the play ground, and during sporting events in school, where the winners or the champions were adored and applauded , while the runners up had to contend with a few claps, forget about the rest who failed to make any mark at all.

Such kind of ‘baptism by fire’ right since a tender age of five or six, in fact enabled us to develop the right perspective and attitudes whole facing this omnipresent element of competition in our later years, be it in school, college, or in our professions.

Today, the extent of competition had increased manifold in every sphere of one’s life over the past few decades, and is likely to maintain its momentum in the years to come. Sadly enough, so has the extent of distractions available kids these days, have grown manifold than what we were bothered with as kids decades ago, and this too is also likely to maintain its momentum in the years to come. Witness the exponential growth in the number of TV channels , video games, websites, and other electronic gadgets which the kids these days are getting addicted to. Of course, while children today need to be technologically savvy and well aware , but they need to tread a fine line between what is beneficial and what can be harmful.

If unchecked such kind of addictions could severely dent the overall focus and mindset of the children these days. The school exams, and especially the board exams act as a strong counterforce to such distractions today, as the fear of failure or sub standard performance which could then adversely impact the prospects of getting admissions in reputed colleges and other institutions , is sufficient for serious students to concentrate and focus on their studies.

Now, by making the board exams optional , and doing away with them subsequently, aren’t we robbing the students of a powerful incentive to focus on studies, and kindle that sprit of competition within them ? If yes, then how do we expect them to sustain and endure the dog eat dog kind of competition later on their lives and especially in their professional lives later on, and which is likely to get fiercer by the day ?

Of course, it is assumed here that the grading system as proposed as an alternative would not be able to fulfill such requirements.

Yes, what is required is a change in the quality of questions which are administered during the school exams. Rather than testing the ability of the student to merely memorize a few facts, the examinations should test the comprehension and analytical powers of the students, a trait critically required during the later part of any student’s life.

While we certainly need to reform our education system, doing away with examinations and rankings are certainly not called for, as it would make the present and future generations of kids more vulnerable to evergrowing distractions in their lives, besides of course denying them any powerful and effective motivation to focus and concentrate in their studies, in order to excel academically, and have the skills and confidence to compete internationally, and especially when they enter their respective professions later on.