The proposal of the Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani to introduce board examinations in V and VIII classes is getting mixed response from those associated with education. The minister made this proposal in the meeting of Central Advisory Board (CAB) on education in New Delhi on Wednesday.
He told the gathering of the education ministers of different states that the quality of education in the schools has deteriorated due to provisions of not detaining the students till class VIII in the universal Right to Education (RTE) act. Naithani suggested that a board like pattern of examinations should be introduced in the classes V and VIII.
The education experts however hold divergent views on the proposal of the minister. Educationist V S Bisht said that nothing would be achieved by introducing pattern of board examinations in these classes.
He said that the provision of board examination would be of no use as the rule of not failing the students would be still there.
Bisht who recently
retired from a very senior position in state education department said that the key of improving quality of education lies in proper monitoring of schools.
He said that the problem is more acute in the schools located in the mountainous areas of the state. However the general Secretary of the Prathemik Shikshak Sangh (PSS), Digvijay Singh welcomed the suggestion of the education minister.
He said that the present system of evaluation of the students needs a complete overhaul.
Singh said that teachers tend to become complacent in the present system of internal examination and by introducing board examinations they would be become more attentive.
“The State Government should also make a rule for minimum attendance of students in the schools. The teachers get the blame of poor performance of the students who remain absent for months,” he said.
V S Gusain, a retried Principal said that the rule of not failing the students is the cause of complacency among both the teachers and students. He was of the view that this rule should be revoked before the introduction of board examination in V and VIII class.