Sunday, June 28, 2009

Scrapping the boards

Another UPA HRD minister continuing the legacy of his predecessors i.e. acting on merely his whims and fancies without properly thinking the outcome and consequences of his actions. This time it isn't reservations, this time it is something that completely breaks the backbone of our education system-- Scrapping the board exams.
With an eye to the future voters the Minister has come up with this draconian plan that removes the base around which a child's career is built.
Today an Indian student is considered superior than his western and eastern counterparts. An Indian professional is so much adept that he is feared by even the most powerful man in the world- The President of the United States who very recently said "Say no to Bangalore and Yes to Buffalo".
What is it that makes the Indian professional so much coveted by all the companies around the world? What makes him so successfull?
The answer is the competitive environment they find themselves into right at the childhood. By the time they leave college they are so much matured and so much used to hard working that they can easily take work pressures and get success in any field of life. It is the competitive attitude that builds inside the child that takes him to new heights in his career.

The reason given behind the scrapping-- To free the student of the stresses..
Hmm the minister must understand that a diamond becomes a diamond only after it undergoes high pressure and heat in the core of earth without which it is nothing but a lump of coke.

Another reason given is suicides..well suicides are there but how many?? 10-15-20-25 that is it..Now exams cannot be blamed for 25 committing suicide out of 25 million appearing for boards. The real culprits are the atmospheres at home which forces the students to take this step.

The minister says to stop all board exams and have a single test for all entrances.. Now will that single test wont traumatize the students? Also for hundreds of courses will we be now having a separate test for all? A nation wide test for law, a nationwide test for history. a test for literature etc etc...will that hold any meaning?
Also the students whole career will be based on his performance in those 2 hours of test..how fair will that be??
Now he comes up with another plan a grading system in boards.. So now some one having say 89 marks out of 100 will have the same grade as the one having 80 ( considering the various slabs of grading) so there it will kill merit. Not fair not fair at all to the ones burning the mid night oil to get good marks.
For grading system based on performance in school well I can only give a laugh..In a country where schools try any measure to get a "100%" result in boards which are fair, what will they do if they have the power to grade their students all by themselves?? Lol..teacher's pet anyone? I certainly wasnt one so maybe I would have failed under the proposed system...

As far as excelling in extra curricular activities are concerned students still have a lot of time for them right from Kindergarten classes to class 9th and then class 11th..It won't hurt to devote a couple of years from those 13-14 yrs of school life to studies.

The minister has to understand that competition builds confidence, it gives maturity, the strength to face the world and a platform for career building.
Moreover since the minister stresses that 10th board is not as important as the 12th boards then why not let it be??

6 comments:

navin said...

Rishabh Bhai,

Firstly i want to say you "Thanks" because you written on a issue which need a serious debate.

Well i want to highlight that motive of HRD minister is not to please certain caste, religion or region but he just suggested his views which may help students who are always having fear for board exams. i want to point something from your article

1- He is not talking about scraping the board exam ( but he is talking about scraping the 10th board exam) , why he want he already cleared in several news paper and he given interview ( from where this news came) and he clearly mentioned that why he want.

2-Any how you tried to co-related this news with future voter is shocking to me because a govt always giving and doing or working for society and if we go as per your theory then i found something like

a) Scheme for poor - for vote
b) scheme for handicapped - for vote
c) scheme for higher education - for vote
d) scheme for Primary education - For vote
e) scheme for Womens - for vote
f) scheme for Minority - for vote

list is so long and i can provide numbers of link which if you add then you will found that Govt is working for all and that is just for vote...

Then please suggest me what govt should do.

Well for your two line i wrote 5-6 lines is not correct , BTW coming back to the issue..

I think which may be wrong or right i dont know but students when they are in 10th had lots of pressure to pass the exam , not even pass but with good mark and its happening with all exam which going to decide your fate. But question arising here that "Is our ward , kid is well enough mature to realize such pressure ?????? ( imagine if you fail , I am a student who was failed in 10th as i got "O" in math which was my strong subject and that also in mulayam regime later in kalyan regime i passed, but i feel the and realize the taunting, anger etc from my friend circle and family)

Again its ( feeling the pressure of board exam and yield point of a student for feeling such pressure in 10th) is a medical related issue where i cant say firmly but i shared my situation.

All fingers are not same and all fingers are not having same strength and yes all fingers are cant be used for same works.

So a student who realized and honest for his future ( study) for him exam is not a big deal , but i dont think all students are same.

whenever i read the interview of any success IAS officer (Topper) or IIT topper , he never said that he studied a lot and he worked hard this year only because of exam , but he / she always suggested and said that a continuous study ( 8-10 hrs daily) helped me a lot, So i think its not matter that in a particular period how much you studied but what you are studying daily will matter.

Any way it was suggested by HRD minister and he already said that on this issue he need a better discussion from students , parents , teacher and schools, so let see what will be the general idea's , but please dont think each and every step of govt is for vote...

Hope you will ignore my words which may pinch you ( :P ) and take my words which may be useful and by saying thanks to you for this post i am closing my lines...

I will join you with comments in another issue ..

regards

navin

rishabh said...

Navin bhai
..Well I never raised any caste issues here :P
1. Well yday I saw on news (NDTV) tht Sibbal wants to scrap 12th boards too.
2. Bhai every decision by a politician is taken by keeping an eye on prospective voters..we can assume this by default. :P
3.See regarding the pressure as I said Indians are successfull because they have learnt to deal with pressure and competetive environment since childhood..they are "moulded" to compete.
I have admitted that students are pressurised by the exams but I say that this pressure helps them..

8-10 hrs studies daily?? Isnt that pressure?? :P

Thanks for commenting here :)

navin said...

Hi Rishabh bhai,

I have to comment because this issue need a better debate for positive direction.

I think you started with reservation so i moved towards Caste :P


1-I dont know about this so i cant say , but as a person as well as minister he just said his views and media made chaos for same, about 10th he said his views like why he is suggesting to scrap 10th exam.

2- I will keep this lines and word ( By default ), But such defaults are only applicable to congress , but as i said and if you see the complete 10th scrapping saga then you can realize that what motive Mr. sibbal is having ... He may be wrong may be right but judging his views as appeasement ( for vote to appease some group) cant be justified



3- Yes i know indians are success today and performing in pressure is one of the best quality which Indians have , but scrapping 10th is not going to release pressure of 12th or getting admission in best college because Mr. sibbal is suggesting for percentile system

For some student such pressures help them but for some students such pressure ruin them

For a bright future studying 8-10 hours as pressure is much better then 10th exam pressure, A student who is spending 8-10 hours on his/her study for him/her any exam will be not so hard as we project board exams ..

And as i said this "10th Exam " issue is only as a issue for seeking suggestion from students , parents , schools and intellectuals for betterment of Indian future.

And i dont think Mr. Sibbal wants to ruin the future of India , so let see what is best of best coming from Yashpal sharma and team.

regards

navin

Unknown said...

I personally feel we over burden ur children through ur education system and suppress there creativity and imagination...here at least I can vouch for Singapore the children are more hard working and more creative ..They are into many more activities than a normal book worm Indian student...I accept that ur edu system brings in competitiveness but at what cost ..how many students commit suicide because they cant takein the pressure and its so sad...My point here is to vouch for the suffers and not the achievers..

Well I am oblivious of the news these days so cant specifically point out the limitations of the Policy :)

keep posting :)

rishabh said...

Navin bro
8-10 hrs of studies is altogether a different path. For a such a guy 10th boards will not be a problem. Also I feel hardly 1 or 2 out of a 1000 can study for 8 hours daily. Let us talk about the normal students. 10th boards sets up standard for the students. 10 and 10+2 provides dual opportunities for the students to perform. In case they fail to perform in one the other is always there to balance..Isnt it?
Also 10th boards decides the capabilities of (most of ) the students and helps them to make decisions for their future.

rishabh said...

Deepali as I said Indians are successful because of this burden.
Anyways I too agree that burden is there but it is the parent's fault. Also I have said that out of 12 years of schooling (counting out the kindergarten classes) we have 10 years for the things we want to do, for creativity, for extra curricular and things like that..
Well even the board pattern is faulty it check how much u can mug and vomit.. The system needs to be changed to change that..Merely scrapping the boards is not a solution unless the gov comes up with a solid plan