The Hindu : Kerala News : Need to ensure all-round efficiency

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Saturday, Mar 24, 2007
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Kerala

Need to ensure all-round efficiency

The SSLC examinations are being conducted this year under perhaps the tightest security ever and under police guard, in the wake of instances of question paper leaks in past years. The Government is evidently doing its best, but the situation may be adding to the pressure on the candidates and their family members. How do you look at this situation? Our readers respond:

Not end of road

For long, examinations have been the be-all and end-all of education, so much so that once an examination is over, the subject matter is supposed to be immediately cleared off the mind like garbage.

The latest reforms in course content, teaching practices and assessment are supposed to tackle and eliminate much of the entrenched evils.

Moreover, the Plus Two extension to school education makes SSLC a mere alert en route to the more pivotal test or career-decider two years later.

The newly conceived Higher Education Council may ensure opportunities for higher education to all but the absolutely inept, so that the stress of cut-off and do-or-die situations is minimised.

Also, let us recognise that examinations at such levels have little impact on the deciding factors of a successful life, for which the general aptitude to adapt well to different situations, including that of employment, alone matters.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

Provide options

The tension faced by students and parents arises out of the heavy syllabus of Class X. The textbooks are updated every year and students learn lessons about the latest developments in science, arts and commerce.

But the question is why should a student who likes humanities be compelled to master subjects he/she doesn't like? If the option facility - the freedom to choose between science, humanities and commerce - open to the students after SSLC is made available to them after they pass Class VII, it will give them a better chance to pursue subjects of their choice much more shrewdly than waste time and energy on subjects for which they have neither talent nor taste.

Hence, it is desirable to introduce the option facility for students entering Class VIII. This will reduce the tension faced by students and parents.

K. Ram Das

Haripad

Try new format

Though the Government tries all conventional methods to ensure the smooth conduct of the SSLC examinations, question paper leakage seems to be a repetitive phenomenon.

In any secret venture, it is customary for the number of people with access to the venture to be kept to the barest minimum. In the case of the SSLC examinations, this principle does not seem to be taken care of.

Private agencies entrusted with the preparation, printing, package and transportation of the question papers are involving many people in the process.

This irregularity coupled with diminishing level of expertise in handling the question papers during transportation and distribution provides loopholes, resulting in avoidable mishaps despite involvement of security personnel.

In the case of the SSLC examinations, the volume of the printed material seems to be very large. Reduction of this volume can contribute to better secrecy and efficient handling.

An attempt should be made to keep the question paper in electronic form until the last moment and printouts can be taken at unit levels just a few minutes before the conduct of the examinations by downloading the same from a suitable web site strictly under the control of the Chief Examiner/Controller of Examinations.

This will ensure secrecy until the last moment and the number of people having access to the system is kept to the minimum.

This also saves on the expenditure for transportation, storage and security and better level of secrecy can be achieved.

In this electronic era when anything is possible through the Internet and web sites, this method is worth trying.

Capt. O.B. Nair

Poonithura

Tighten vigil

The SSLC examinations are being conducted in the midst of tight security. The presence of policemen in the examination halls will certainly aggravate the mental tension experienced by students and parents.

The examinations have been conducted for 50 years or more but the aspect of security during the examination procedure is still new.

Security measures must be stepped up not only during the examination hours, but also during the initial procedures of conducting preparations for the examinations.

Shobha Krishnan

Poonithura

Increase security

Tight security must be provided during crucial public examinations such as SSLC. Every effort should be made to ensure that these exams are held in a foolproof manner.

It should be ensured that the candidates face no pressure by virtue of the importance of the examinations and security arrangements. In fact, effective arrangements are a must for the conduct of these examinations.

Those contributing to problems in their conduct should be disciplined.

K. Jiji Panicker Kundara

Chengannur

Not a solution

The very idea of marshalling police forces in the ambience of a school is anathema to the students. A relaxed, tension-free atmosphere is a sine qua non for the examinees.

Summoning police personnel into the school precincts ruins the atmosphere that can promote thinking and recollection of whatever has been learnt. The police presence, therefore, does not provide a solution.

Nevertheless, in these days of specialised crimes, their unobtrusive attention is warranted and this can be maintained through well-connected phone links.

The conventional examination system has already become obsolete. Novel methods, therefore, have to be devised to appraise the performance of the students.

N. Sadasivan Pillai

Guntakal

Andhra Pradesh

Irrelevant drill

In spite of the best efforts of the Government, something like wrong distribution of question papers has happened in the SSLC examination.

But why should the children, parents and the Government take up all this strain and the heavy expense?

I am of the opinion that the Class X public examination has become irrelevant and Kerala should take a bold stand of abolishing it and showing the way to others.

It will help teaching rather than coaching, better the standard of education, encourage original thinking, have better methods of assessment and provide relief to all concerned.

Wherever possible, all high schools should be upgraded to higher secondary schools.

A. Jacob Sahayam

Thiruvananthapuram

Change attitude

Our present attitude towards education must change. At present, education is just a means to get a job. Good marks are the passport for a bright future. And in the struggle for life, one can even cheat to get good marks!

But this attitude towards education must go. Teachers and parents must realise that education is for life. The aim of education must be the discovery of truth, forming positive attitudes to life, learning useful skills and developing a good character.

Teachers and parents should demonstrate that learning is a life-long process. Learning is really interesting and it is even fun.

Once people become aware of what real learning is, they can be weaned away from their present obsession with final examinations.

Abraham George

Kollam

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