Where Mr. Sibal has got it wrong?

Dear Mr. Sibal, Date : 26:06:09

Let me first congratulate you on becoming the new HRD minister. Arjun Singh our EX HRD minister was the worst thing that happened to India. I hope you don’t repeat the mistakes he did. Its nice to see that you have been very proactive in the last few days. Based on the Yashpal Committee report you have proposed a few changes to our ailing education system. But there are a few flaws in your approach that I need to point out.

First let me just point out the three major ideas that you have proposed.

1) The scrapping of class X board exams.

2) Grading system(or a percentile system ) instead of percentage system in class XII and a common national board.

3) Formation of an autonomous authority for higher education system and research .

The first point about scrapping the class X board exams ,well sir you have hit the nail on the head when you say that the children go through intense trauma due to these exams. But have you tried to understand why. The reason is simple. Getting good marks alone helps you to get into a good higher secondary school. Will the trauma end if the board exams are scrapped. I think not . The same problems regarding admissions will prevail. Infact this will lead to more chaos on the parameters on which student admission to class XI should take place. The real problem is there are not enough seats in good institutions . That is probably the basic reason why a prospective C.V Raman eventually becomes a Tom Dick and Harry as he grows up. What you really need to do is that ensure that all the schools that are springing up like mushrooms get affiliation only when they offer quality education. Moreover you need to increase the number of seats in these institutes.

Coming to your second point about introducing grading or a national percentile system . Will it really help? The only visible change it will bring is that the cutoff for a Shri Ram College Of Commerce or a St.Stephen will be 99.99 percentile instead of 98 percent. No sir , it will serve no other purpose than creating confusion. However your idea of a single board deserves merit because there is a huge difference in the marking patterns of state boards and C.B.S.E / I.S.C. No wonder we have ridiculous cutoffs for graduation courses.( 98% for economics ! Give me a break.). If you really want to solve the problems that students face after passing class XII you must ask universities to look into other facets of a child personality and not merely his/her academics before admitting him/her. Moreover these universities need to introduce more vocational courses.

Your third point about an autonomous body for higher education and research is , I must say, the need of the hour. UGC needs to be renamed Useless Governing Council. And one more thing Mr. Sibal , please see to it that apartment with three rooms are not given university status.

I hope that you achieve all that you have set out to in the coming 100 days . I wish you all the success.

Regards

Pranay Tiwari

( A product of the great Indian education system)

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