Education - Should it create Jack of all or master of one?
It was curious to see the recent posts in newspapers after the CBSE declared its results as per the new system of grades and CGPA. While it did reduce the suicides numbers which are reported every year after the results(atleast there weren't many which got reported in media) and hence fulfilled one avowed objective of our honourable education minister, it did however threw some very interesting observations.
The first was that a student can get low marks and still get higher grades. There were students who scored consistently average marks in all subjects scoring better grades than students who were scoring very high marks in one subjects and average or may be less than average in other subjects. While the student who is an average student and not expecting to be a top ranker will feel satisfied and elated on being clubbed with top rankers, a top ranker student would not feel happy if clubbed with below par student. Such high potential students may loose motivation to pursue excellence in their favourite subjects.
The implications of this methodologies are serious. This means that our evaluation systems promotes being jack of all and master on none. While earlier marks based system made few super stars and many many average achievers this system goes to the other extreme of spectrum where it rewards mediocrity and punishes excellence.
Without sounding alarmist and conspiracy thoerist I would like to question the objective of such a system of evaluation being thrust on a country with maximum young population and which is at the threshhold of a demographic dividend. It is a moot point who would benefit from such a system of evaluation and its resultant effects on scholastic achievement of our students. We may not be able to build more scientists or philosophers in such a system. While it may be argued that western countries for long have similar evaluation systems and still produce many nobel laureates it would be worthwhile to mention that they also have a highly evolved and developed higher education system which makes sure that adequate specialisation opportunities exists for students at undergraduate and post graduate level, This to a large extent helps in creating centers of excellence. But we cannot create such an environment even in next twenty years.
Historical evidence suggests that short sighted leaders with selfish interests above national interests have many times kowtowed the lines of powerful interests outside the country who would not like this country to rise to its full potential. I wonder if this is an attempt to jeopardise the rise of India as a nation of high achievers which obviously has put many established power centers in nervous mode. It is said that mightiest of empires have fallen by sowing the seeds of doubt in the minds of persons who ruled it. I hope we resist the temptation this time!
May there be light all around!
The first was that a student can get low marks and still get higher grades. There were students who scored consistently average marks in all subjects scoring better grades than students who were scoring very high marks in one subjects and average or may be less than average in other subjects. While the student who is an average student and not expecting to be a top ranker will feel satisfied and elated on being clubbed with top rankers, a top ranker student would not feel happy if clubbed with below par student. Such high potential students may loose motivation to pursue excellence in their favourite subjects.
The implications of this methodologies are serious. This means that our evaluation systems promotes being jack of all and master on none. While earlier marks based system made few super stars and many many average achievers this system goes to the other extreme of spectrum where it rewards mediocrity and punishes excellence.
Without sounding alarmist and conspiracy thoerist I would like to question the objective of such a system of evaluation being thrust on a country with maximum young population and which is at the threshhold of a demographic dividend. It is a moot point who would benefit from such a system of evaluation and its resultant effects on scholastic achievement of our students. We may not be able to build more scientists or philosophers in such a system. While it may be argued that western countries for long have similar evaluation systems and still produce many nobel laureates it would be worthwhile to mention that they also have a highly evolved and developed higher education system which makes sure that adequate specialisation opportunities exists for students at undergraduate and post graduate level, This to a large extent helps in creating centers of excellence. But we cannot create such an environment even in next twenty years.
Historical evidence suggests that short sighted leaders with selfish interests above national interests have many times kowtowed the lines of powerful interests outside the country who would not like this country to rise to its full potential. I wonder if this is an attempt to jeopardise the rise of India as a nation of high achievers which obviously has put many established power centers in nervous mode. It is said that mightiest of empires have fallen by sowing the seeds of doubt in the minds of persons who ruled it. I hope we resist the temptation this time!
May there be light all around!
Hello sir
ReplyDeleteNicely written blog which really give insight about the loopholes of grading system.