MOUSUMI KALITA SACHDEVA
How many of us really and seriously understand the true meaning of education? Do we really want our children and students to learn something worth or just expect them to pass the examinations? Today’s education system seems to be a no-brainer system which can be better understood as no-fail system. Are we really helping the children to face a strong competitive world or is it just a temporary help to save the students from a short period of unhappiness? A foregone conclusion of the present no-fail system seems to be a life-time depression for many a below-average as well as the average students.
I can never deny the fact that the present system was formed solely as a benefit and a support for today’s students. It was shaped to lessen the burden of the students and to decrease the amount of depression faced by the students if failed in a class. But after a long research and examining the state of students’ minds, a different picture comes to the forefront. The present system seems to be out in left field in helping the students from depression. If not today many students are likely to be blocked in the clouds in future, after their schools, when they would fail to find a place in this tough competitive world. Let me step onto the facts and cut to the chase. The present no-fail system has failed to keep the value of ‘fail’ among the students. Today, the very popular saying, ‘failure is the stepping stone to successes’ is of little sense to the students. After talking to many teachers of various schools, it is found that nowadays students are least interested in exams. This loss of interest is resulting in the loss of proper and thorough knowledge in the students. Students do not have the feel of exam and nor they want to feel it. As they are assured about their results that they would be easily promoted to the next class, studies are left out to be taken seriously. After examining an answer sheet of a student of fifth standard, I was surprised to see that the student is not clear about the alphabets of English as well as Hindi. And he would be promoted to standard six in the next session. What would be the future of this particular student when he would be safely promoted to class ten? Thanks to the system as there is no-fail feel in the tenth standard too nowadays. The CCE system in CBSE has really relaxed the students. But where does his future lie when he would fail to get admitted in any college? How will the system help him when he would fail to crack any interviews in future and further drop down to depression?
We are failing to realize that this safer side of education system may one day put the students in the pickle when they would fail to find this no-fail system in the field of jobs and career. Having talked to a student of ninth standard, I actually felt sorry for this young heart. I was happy to see no signs of tension during his board exams and at the same time worried to find that he was actually careless about his exams. And his bold words, ‘mam, why to worry? CBSE will never allow me to fail’ gave me a sudden jolt. Nowadays, the CCE system has really blessed the students with no burden to study whereas failing to see the future of these students. A small talk with a parent of a student made me think about this system seriously. She has just jacked her effort in trying to make her daughter take studies seriously. The easy promotions to higher classes have made her life so easy that the extremely poor marks are a least botheration for her. I am really not against the scheme of CCE. CCE, the continuous and comprehensive evaluation gives attention to scholastic as well as co- scholastic areas of a candidate which is actually an advanced system of education. But if we closely examine the results of the system, we would definitely find the stark reality. In an effort to pass the students, the teachers are not hesitant to give A and B grading points to all the students. With the help of good points in the co-scholastic areas, the students are managing easy promotions. If one closely examines the answer sheets of the regular and important subjects, the result will be just pathetic. Having examined an answer sheet of a student of standard eight, I found the true state of a student who would be appearing for board exams the very next year. How will a teacher help him get at least the passing mark who is unable to write a single sentence correctly in English? Thanks to the new system that will easily help him to grab a seat in the ninth standard.
Now, the factual question is, are we mishandling the CCE scheme? Or are we making our jobs easy with the help of this advanced scheme? Does the CCE scheme strictly allow ‘no detainment’ in a class? It is not that only the student would suffer with the no-fail system; it is also a difficulty for the teachers to pay full attention to a single or a few students (the below average students) solely in the class among thirty to forty students. When a maths teacher is teaching profit and loss to the students of standard eight, how can she help the students who are unaware of addition and subtraction in that same class within a stipulated time? Definitely, she would proceed with her greater number of students to accomplish her syllabus within the allotted stipulated time. In doing so, that particular student remains to be poor and ignorant who waits to be promoted without any efforts to the next standard.
Now, if we think reasonably and practically, is it not a better decision to hold back a student who is extremely poor at his performances in a class and give them an opportunity to learn the required academics prescribed for a particular standard? If a standard 1 student is not able to perform and his concepts of subjects are not clear, will it not be a right decision by the parents as well as the teachers to hold him back in that class and promote him the next year with thorough knowledge so that he would be able to cope up easily in the next standard? When a child is young, we can mould them, teach them and make them perfect at the primary stage as the foundation of a student should be always strong. When their mind is young and tender, they would be able to cope up well in the same class and make their own peer groups without having much feel of the term ‘fail’. But, if the same student, who is conditionally promoted, reaches the stage of higher studies and is unable to muddle through the career courses, may have all chances to face depression when he finds himself failing to manage in this tough competitive age. At this stage the student would be all at sea which may switch his mind to the unwanted suicidical tendencies. In an attempt to save the students from committing suicides, are we not increasing the tensions? A young mind may not have the strong feeling of shame and embarrassment at a tender age whereas when he grows up, the feeling of embarrassment may lead them to such unwanted accidents.
I am not veritably speaking against the CCE system. I genuinely support the advantages of the system which gives importance to the all round development of the students. But, is the application of this system in the schools done deservedly? Is it really possible to enforce this procedure in a class of thirty to forty students or even more? None can deny the fact that in India almost all the schools will give the picture of more than thirty five to forty students in a class where a single teacher has to face enormous difficulty in paying attention to each and every single student within forty minutes of a class. While attending a recent teachers’ workshop, it was seen that almost all the teachers of the small and big schools are ached with the same problems. And the problems are: grabbing the attention of the students and unable to pay equal attention to all the students which leaves the weaker students unattended. So, is it not the proper time now to take a drastic step to bring a better change in our education system? The seats of a class should be limited and restricted thereby helping the teachers to bring this upcoming system to the nearest success. The CCE system in itself is a fantastic thought but somewhere we are lacking while applying it. The teachers too need to be a demon for work to defeat all the difficulties found in this program. A continuous effort, proper planning and cooperative hands can definitely bring a progressive change in the present education system.
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