By Sneha Pande, XI, Convent of Jesus & Mary
Off with boards, on with grades? That’s an unfamiliar territory for a nation that worships the mark sheet. Are the young really cheering? The idea of doing away with the class 10 boards is a sweet nothing, its music to the ears but doesn’t amount to much. The reason the proposed switch over is not getting the young cheering is because this move appears to have created worrying grey areas where a child capable of perfection will never come to know his worth by just adding a + sign to his A grade. He would never be able to tap the fullest of resources given to him by God & would neither come to know that he could have done better.
We talk of easing out the burden on students by formulating this plan but let me tell you friends that if we actually ask the students, parents, and all those experts and committees, we would then come to know that its not the exams at all that the kids worry about, it’s the sheer paucity of opportunities thereafter. It’s the size 0 scale & scope of colleges.
Ironic as it is, but it is a fact that an average Chintu went off to a Chicago university just because he didn’t get through Khalsa College. Melbourne beckons after class 12 because our successful government has failed our students.
HRD Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal comments, "The Indian Education system is a source of trauma for both students and parents". No sir, let me clarify that it is this very Indian education that is recognized worldwide! Moreover, it’s gaining access to the systems at the nursery and college levels that’s traumatic; it’s coping with the dearth of options within the system that’s traumatic!
Let it be known that a student who is pushed to kill herself over low marks will blame herself for a low percentile as well. She is still left stranded.
As far as the trauma is concerned, you are just postponing it for class 12 when it’ll come in a double charged form where a child would have to cope with 2 things simultaneously, the class 12 boards and the apprehension as to what will happen to him after class 12. Now, is this what you call easing out the burden? We need to make ourselves understand that failures are just a delay and not a defeat in life.
Sincerely answer me one question, do you really think class 10 is that difficult? For an average student, given the opportunity and access to education resources of teachers, textbooks, libraries, peer help, class 10 is easy; after all, it’s not some rocket science that we’re talking about. Can we expect a fair decision when it comes to allotting grades when it’ll more or less depend on the facts like my daddy’s big contacts, mom’s excellent rapport with the principal & everyone helping the pool and gym funds in private schools?
Moreover, many children who are half way lost during their study hours at least become alert during boards. Boards also help in dealing with a slightly pressurized situation at an age when a child is growing up. I think all of you are aware of the fact that Adversity is the mother of invention.
Friends there is something called the +ve stress that gets the best out of us when we’re tried. What about these valuable lessons learnt in life by giving class 10 boards?
Wake up friends; be aware of the fact that we’re only replacing numerals with alphabets by allotting grades. We’re only camouflaging the marks and making them wear new attire! However, the stress remains the same!
More seats, more job oriented vocational studies after class 10, more teachers, more educational resources are what we need!
Uniformity should be in raising the standards of education and not in lowering them!
We talk of easing out the burden on students by formulating this plan but let me tell you friends that if we actually ask the students, parents, and all those experts and committees, we would then come to know that its not the exams at all that the kids worry about, it’s the sheer paucity of opportunities thereafter. It’s the size 0 scale & scope of colleges.
Ironic as it is, but it is a fact that an average Chintu went off to a Chicago university just because he didn’t get through Khalsa College. Melbourne beckons after class 12 because our successful government has failed our students.
HRD Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal comments, "The Indian Education system is a source of trauma for both students and parents". No sir, let me clarify that it is this very Indian education that is recognized worldwide! Moreover, it’s gaining access to the systems at the nursery and college levels that’s traumatic; it’s coping with the dearth of options within the system that’s traumatic!
Let it be known that a student who is pushed to kill herself over low marks will blame herself for a low percentile as well. She is still left stranded.
As far as the trauma is concerned, you are just postponing it for class 12 when it’ll come in a double charged form where a child would have to cope with 2 things simultaneously, the class 12 boards and the apprehension as to what will happen to him after class 12. Now, is this what you call easing out the burden? We need to make ourselves understand that failures are just a delay and not a defeat in life.
Sincerely answer me one question, do you really think class 10 is that difficult? For an average student, given the opportunity and access to education resources of teachers, textbooks, libraries, peer help, class 10 is easy; after all, it’s not some rocket science that we’re talking about. Can we expect a fair decision when it comes to allotting grades when it’ll more or less depend on the facts like my daddy’s big contacts, mom’s excellent rapport with the principal & everyone helping the pool and gym funds in private schools?
Moreover, many children who are half way lost during their study hours at least become alert during boards. Boards also help in dealing with a slightly pressurized situation at an age when a child is growing up. I think all of you are aware of the fact that Adversity is the mother of invention.
Friends there is something called the +ve stress that gets the best out of us when we’re tried. What about these valuable lessons learnt in life by giving class 10 boards?
Wake up friends; be aware of the fact that we’re only replacing numerals with alphabets by allotting grades. We’re only camouflaging the marks and making them wear new attire! However, the stress remains the same!
More seats, more job oriented vocational studies after class 10, more teachers, more educational resources are what we need!
Uniformity should be in raising the standards of education and not in lowering them!
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