Exams are not the problem

Exams are not the problem

Nandita Sengupta


HRD minister Kapil Sibals idea of doing away with the class X board exams is a sweet nothing. Its music to the ears but it doesnt amount to much. He wants to ease the burden on children to score high in the class X boards. Had he asked students, parents and teachers, all those experts and committees, hed know its not so much the exams that kids hate.
In fact, its not the exam at all. Its the sheer paucity of opportunities thereafter . Its the puny scale and scope of class XI and class XII. Its the size zero scale and scope of college. Ironic as it is, it is a fact that the average Chintu went off to a Chicago university because he didnt get through Khalsa college. More and more students are going off to do all sorts of courses across the world. Melbourne beckons after class XII because successive governments have failed our students.
Sibal says, The Indian education system is a source of trauma for both parents and children. No sir. The education system is not the source of trauma. Its gaining access to the system at the nursery and college levels thats traumatic . Its coping with the dearth of options within the system thats traumatic . If the ministers decision is based on the tragic instances of children committing suicide post poor results, let it be known that its not the exam system to blame. Its because students options close after that. Doors shut. A child who is pushed to kill herself over low marks will blame herself for a low percentile as well. Shes still left stranded.
Its the fear of the life-after if you dont score well thats traumatic. The ministers bang on when he says students aptitude should decide whether he or she wants to study arts or science. True, but how will replacing percentages with percentiles help in securing a child a seat in the science stream The reason schools fail to listen to students pleas of interest, and use marks as a qualifier for various streams is because there arent enough seats to go around, private and government. Marks are the excuse.
We dont need percentiles as critically as we need more seats. Many schools have already done away with final exams till class VIII, following instead, assessment tests through the year. Easy transit till class VIII. Learning a pleasure , enjoyment in imbibing knowledge. Perfect. What happens then in class X Is it the fear of the exams No. Its the fear that marks will be used against you no matter your grade.
The few at either end of the normal distribution curve, those who score ultra-well and those who flop, always have their choices clear. Drop out and try open school or get into jobs at one end, breeze through to your choice at the other end, weighed down only by advice on what all you can do. Its the burgeoning middlers who get tossed like noodles in a wok. And the middlers, remember, are high on success , 90-percenters all. Will percentiles make matters easier
Trouble begins when schools have to perforce be subjective in granting seats in a given stream. When daddys contact doesnt work, moms rapport with the principal fails to charm, everyones helping the schools swimming pool and gym fund in private schools. Thats where the trouble begins. When marks differ in decimals and when you feel cheated that you didnt get what you wanted despite achieving great results.
For the average student, given the opportunity and access to educational resources of teachers, textbooks, libraries and peer-help , class X is easy. Its not rocket science. Theres satisfaction in achievement. Go around, minister, interacting with kids across the spectrum. Ask them what they really fear. More seats, job-oriented vocational studies after class X, more teachers, more of every educational resource are what we need.