To the next class
GEETA PADMANABHAN
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Many argue that it is not right to detain a child. But is social promotion the answer?
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Mohammed Yousuf
At the end of the year the question asked is, "Do I go to the next class?" Most will, but there may be some who will be asked to "repeat" the class. Many people are beginning to think that children should not be detained. Those who oppose keeping children back quote child psychology in support. "Detaining affects the child's self-esteem," they say, "and leaves the child an emotional wreck."
So what can we expect if their opinions prevail? Something known as "social promotion" — that is, promoting all children to the next class even if they have not mastered the skills that they are supposed to; even if they have not reached the Minimum Learning Level (MLL) meant for that particular class. Cecilia Sundaram, a senior teacher agrees it is demoralising for a kid to find her/himself with a set of youngsters in the class. "But," she points out, "the class numbers would swell if we detain kids. This is not possible in most schools. There are cases where students gained confidence when asked to go over the year's lessons again. But this happens only in lower classes."
"A lot of it should be blamed on the examination and assessment systems. I get to check papers from rural schools. We are under pressure to pass as many students as possible in English if they have passed in their electives. Why should a student be detained because he cannot write English?"
Is it all right to disgorge what are at best semi-literate students into the highly competitive world of higher education and jobs that increasingly ask for a sound knowledge of English? "They learn," says Cecilia, "when they move from the cocoon of the school system into the big bad world. Survival pushes them to pick up what they need to know. Here the motivation is high."
As one writer puts it, "Many of tomorrow's service jobs will involve multimedia computer interfaces that provide images and icons, or respond to spoken commands. Language skills may be necessary only for jobs that require the ability to communicate complex ideas, such as developing a business plan or scripting a television show." Or teaching.
So reading and writing skills may also become optional in the brave new world of audio-video everything. Students will still read or write simple sentences. But they won't be able to craft and comprehend long-form prose; like composing an economically-worded business letter, a leave letter; a report... Whatever the language, reading and writing are critical skills in learning how to think. A population without the ability to think critically and evaluate what they see, hear and read is a population unable to support a democracy and one that is ripe for easy manipulation. We should all re-read George Orwell's 1984 — if we could only read.
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