The Great Class X Board Exam Debate

In my opinion, there are two components to this debate

1 - Does the X std board evaluation (in its current form) serve a meaning ful purpose?

2 - What are the alternates, if this evaluation is deemed to be unnecessary in it's current form?

I think a lot of the responses to point 1 has been driven by the fear of unknown with respect to point 2.

In response to question 1 - almost everyone will have a different view.

Schools that have a great brand name and make money through donations etc will hate to see board exams go - as it is their 'excellent' results that drive their brand name and revenue.

Parents who derive their social status by the academic achievements of their kids will resist this as well and are likely to force their kids to do the board exams anyways - even if it were made optional.

Students - those who have no other identity for themselves other than their academics are likely to oppose this as well - how on earth will they know how they fare vis a vis their peers if there is no way to benchmark themselves based on the only thing they know?

And last but not the least - employers - they would hate to see this exceedingly simple metric of filtering go away.

I think kids are poor pawns in this game of 'expectations' and 'one upmanship' being played by Schools, Parents and Employers.

As long as there is a social hierarchy based on marks / degree, the system will never be stress free. It needs a change of attitude - not a change of laws or evaluation process.

The day when a BSc or a BCom or a BEd or a MA History person has the same employability opportunity like any other BE / BTech etc, only then will the stress and pressure go away.

Many people make the argument that - look at what Indian's have achieved today on the global stage - and credit the indian education system for this. I think we are looking at it the wrong way. For every individual who has become successful abroad, there are many many more who are still slogging out in India - maybe because they did not score in that one year that matters and because of that 'some software company' did not give them a job and hence an opportunity to go abroad?

I am not the sort fo person who is even remotely creative in the literary sense, however reading all articles and watching TV channel debates on this topic made me write this small poem about my views and vision for a simple and straightforward life for all kids. Read on...

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Study hard, educate posh
Read, Read, Read - nothing to learn;

To be the best, better than the the rest
To have it all, not knowing what is lost;

To make life better, while living no better
To earn more money and always falling short;

Priorities, morals, ethics and values
Everything right, applied wrong;

To live life in its simplicty, do things for happiness
leave worries aside and sleep in mother nature's arms;

May the dream be for every child in their mother's arms;
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