Monica Malhotra Kandhari tells you why and how there-introduction of Class X Board exams will help tackle the lackadaisical attitude that has crept into young students affecting their performance at Class XII level
The decision by the HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar to re-introduce Class X Board exams from the 2017-2018 sessions in all the CBSE affiliated schools is an affirmative move in the right direction. It must however be remembered that the decision to do away with the boards exam was taken after a spate of suicides by young students who were clearly unhappy about their performance in the said exams and were unable to bear the stress arising out of it. Removing the requirement of a Board’s exam at the Class X level was a step taken to lessen the burden and ease the pressure on the students, who owing to their young age are sometimes unable to cope with the intense pressure.
However noble and well-meaning the decision to remove Boards might be, it has emerged over time that removal of the exam has had detrimental effects on the students, whose well-being is the very reason behind the move. The Class X Boards had served the dual purpose of a qualifying exam to decide a suitable stream of education and also a good benchmark to assess the student’s level of learning and knowledge. And as such, a good performance in the Board’s has been a prime motivator for the students which also helped them to focus on their studies. Moreover the exams also has a great role in ensuring discipline amongst the students and is a standardised yardstick for evaluating students in schools across the country.
The discontinuation of the Class X Boards has made the movement to a higher class after Class X a mere perfunctory process. Since 2010, when the exams were discontinued, it has been found that a certain level of lackadaisical attitude had crept into the minds of the students. Such an attitude had a detrimental effect on the students when they were faced with a crucial Board examinations a couple of years later at the Class XII level. The discontinuation of Class X Boards may also be attributed to the declining competitive spirit amongst the students as they are moved from one class to the next higher class almost as a routine procedure reminiscent of an automated production line in a factory. This at a time when the students need to be at their competitive best, so that they can excel in their chosen field later in life is a huge blow to the student’s future and a dent on the future of the country.
While there will certainly be many arguments and valid ones at that, favouring the discontinuation of the examination and any other form of classification of student’s up to a certain age, like in the case of developed countries like Finland. It must be remembered that the ground realities in the two countries are different and so is the outcome expected out of their respective education systems.
Our country’s educational system calls for a systematic assessment and exams to gauge the educational standards. So unless and until we develop a replacement system that caters to both sides of the argument, periodic and systematic assessments continues to serve our educational goals and requirements adequately.
The present Government has taken several initiatives in its effort to raise the academic standards of our country. The Government had rightfully described education, skills and job creation as one of the nine pillars that will transform the country. The decision to re-introduce Boards at the Class X level in CBSE schools will help re-ignite the spirit of competition and usher in much needed vigour helping the students to gear up for bigger challenges ahead like the Class XII Boards and beyond.
The writer is MD, MBD Group