Taxing the grieved

Being media savvy, no stone was left unturned to ensure that various schools around the country show the live telecast of that address and the book release to the students. The schools had to ensure that a video of the same is uploaded as a mark of “proof” of having adhered to the orders. However, three weeks down the line; the activity that was supposed to be a “festival” has now become the reason of biggest stress for the students, parents and teachers alike.

After the government acknowledged that some of the question papers for the class 10^th and class 12^th were leaked before the examinations,  HRD minister Prakash Javadekar  empathetically acknowledged some of these ‘hardships’ of students, while putting up a brave front at the press conference.  He promised that security measures will be more stringent than ever and the government will deploy ‘new technology’ to make sure that it would not happen again. He must be applauded for acknowledging the “hardship” when it came apparent to one and all when the government stood exposed. However in doing so, the students would first have to undergo the ordeal of appearing again for the same examination. The paper leak can only take place with the convenience of the staff at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), but the government wants to subject the students to a re-test. However, this action defies logic, had the students been caught copying, or leaking the examination paper it would have been justified to ask them for a re-test. But to make them appear again because someone in CBSE has made money by selling the papers to gullible students is a blot on the education system in India. Above all it was a group of vigilant students who made the CBSE aware of the papers having been leaked thus opposing the vulnerability of the system, and the same students were among the first one to be taken into custody for questioning.

The minister is willing to address the issue.  However, there are many other elements of the education system that have never been addressed.

There is a vast difference between the schools being run by the government and the private schools. The government schools lack infrastructure including in adequate teaching staff and the will of the teachers to impart the right education. The condition of the government schools can be very well judged from the fact, that hardly any government official sends his ward to a government school. The private schools charge exorbitant fees that are beyond the reach of everyone. Moreover the stress of the board examinations has been a reason for many students of class 10^th and class 12^th committing suicide, and the previous government of Dr. Manmohan Singh removed the board examinations for class 10^th and introduced a continuous evaluation system that was more focused on checking the overall learning experience of the students. With Narendra Modi government taking over and in order to create a sweeping change the Board exams were introduced for class 10^th. Gauging the new introduced stress back, some of those associated with the CBSE have been able to break the system to their benefit. It’s alleged that question papers were sold to certain vulnerable students for Rs 2 lakh.

It has become a norm that those scoring 99% marks in their 12^th standard board exams failing to secure admission in colleges of their choice, while they spend more time in coaching institutes than in their schools. That’s the malady that over so many years the emphasis has been on checking the memory and the cramming power of the students and not their intelligence.

The government in India should appreciate that there has been no cases of paper leak for those exams that focus on putting the intelligence of the candidates to test, the test for Indian Administrative Services, Indian Institute of Management among a few; and should strive to change the pattern of examination for class 10^th and class 12^th that focus on intelligence and not just memory. It may not be an easy task if left for the leaders, however if academicians are roped in to transform the system. If done, this could transform the generations.