Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 7: Formula-tion of much hyped ‘reformative’ policies by the higher ups at the helm of affairs in School Education Department without taking stakeholders into confidence, are proving to be chaotic for smooth functioning of schools and confusing for the teachers concerned besides most likely leading to further deterioration of education standard at elementary and secondary levels.
Even after more than a month since commencement of the new academic session, there has been no clarity on the study material as well as remedial teaching for reassessment evaluation of those students who could not qualify class 9th T1 and T2 exams but admitted in Class 10th for Board exams, sources in the School Education told the Excelsior.
Further, sources added, the remedial classes for the students, who did not qualify in the examination of class 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th but provisionally admitted in the next class, are also not functioning properly because of the hotchpotch owing to introduction of new system of learning levels and delay in issuance of the prescribed books for the same.
More ironic is the fact that same learning level books are being provided by the State Institute of Education (SIE) to all the failure students of 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Classes, undergoing remedial teaching for reassessment thus raising a question mark on the standard of such reassessments.
Pertinent to mention that the School Education Department in March last had decided to implement its previous order (Government Order No. 338-Edu of 2016 dated 16.9.2016) envisaging certain reforms in its detention policy at elementary and secondary level exams by introducing special remedial teachings of required learning levels for the ‘Potential Learners’ (students who do not qualify in examination of class 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th but provisionally admitted in the next class). Remedial classes for a period of 2-3 months, immediately after the commencement of new academic session and during the vacations, followed by reassessment for grade appropriate competencies, were envisaged for these ‘Potential Learners’ and in the event of inability to meet the qualification criteria in such reassessments, the students are to be detained.
The Government further notified to do away with detention in Class 9th, entitling all students enrolled for Class 9th to appear in 10th Board examinations.
The much talked about review of the ‘No Detention Policy’ was done after surveys indicated low learning levels at the elementary level. As per a survey, the Jammu and Kashmir had figured at 32nd position amongst the 34 States and UTs of the country. Further, the State specific survey conducted also indicated that 22 percent of the children in Class 8th cannot read Standard 2 English text and 20 percent of Class 8th children cannot solve Grade 2 Math problems.
However, sources said, the policy review without taking all stakeholders into confidence has virtually turned the entire exercise in this regard into a fiasco and more problematic for the school education scenario in the State.
Due to apparent communication gap, sources explained, schools are still in the state of confusion over the remedial classes and study material for the failures of class 9th while the situation is more chaotic for the failure students of 8th standard in middle schools, who have been denied admission in the higher grade schools.
In several rural schools, the ‘Potential Learners’ are not turning up for remedial classes thus forcing the concerned teachers preparing bogus attendance record, sources added.
Instead of those subjects, which the ‘Potential Learners’ could not qualify in T1 and T2 exams, different set of books are being taught in the remedial classes, which makes it difficult for these failure students to manage the load.
Further, the students, who could not qualify class 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th examinations, are being taught same books of Level-I and Level-II thus putting students of different standards at par with each other for the reasons best known to the policy makers.
Because of the new system, another problem is being faced by the failures of class 8th, who have been provisionally admitted in class 9th as they are not being accorded registration by the J&K Board of School Education. Despite their provisional admission in 9th class, they have yet to clear reassessment test after undergoing Lavel-I, Level-II and Level-III books, which is likely to take around two months whereas June 15 is the last date for J&KBOSE registration, inform-ed head of an institution.
When contacted, Minister for Education Altaf Bukhari said that he was unaware of such policy review by his predecessor and consequent problems being faced at ground level. “I will talk to Secretary School Education and take remedial measures,” he added.
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