Genuine scores?

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Genuine scores?

Saturday, 04 May 2019 | Pioneer

Genuine scores?

The high percentages in CBSE raise questions on marks moderation policies and testing standards in our schools

Should we celebrate the high scores of the CBSE’s Class XII results or worry about imposing unrealistic performance pressure on the younger generation, considering that only a skimming layer of five to 10 per cent students will get into good colleges? Or should we stop to wonder if we are building an unfair expectation of deservedness among our young and not preparing them for a failure in a realistic competitive scenario that’s not based on marks or grades but application of imbibed knowledge? These are questions we must seek answers to considering that with the results hitting almost 100 per cent accuracy, the pressure is upon the universities to keep the cutoff percentages high. This year, a total of 17,690 candidates scored 95 per cent and above in aggregate, up 39 per cent from 12,737 in 2018. A staggering 94,299 scored 90 per cent and above, an all-time high for the CBSE. And with greater excellence showed by students in Delhi/NCR, many from other boards are worrying that their chances of making it to prestigious national colleges are next to nil.

While there is much debate going on about CBSE’s marks moderation policy, which allows grace space to students and sets a grammar for a more equitable assessment code, question is of the status of the average students who may not have breached the 90s’ barrier but aren’t too bad either. Also, what of those who have not peaked the expectation levels that keep cresting year after year? Clearly, standardisation of marking protocols is building up more complexities in the system of higher education. Testing methods are being simplified and made more objective without factoring into account analytical ability or subjective assessment, the last being the preserve of humanities. Isn’t it extraordinary that tests for non-quantitative subjects such as English or History can yield perfect scores?  St Stephen’s, one of the country’s premier arts colleges, had a cut-off that went up to 99.25 per cent in one of the recent years! The problem with such a testing format is that it encourages learning by rote rather than priming creative thinking or challenging teaching quality. In the process, merit, too, is being compromised as two students with different real capacities, maybe one 80 per cent and the other higher, are being flat-planed on a performance graph. This formula is also setting off an unhealthy competition among boards which are inflating the marks of the students to get better results. In this androidish rush, all we are producing is overhyped talent and attempting an artificial bridging of divides. Something that has consistently been reflected in the series of Annual Status of Education Reports (ASERs), which show how students fail in simple language and mathematical ability when tested outside the format. Improving scorelines does not necessarily mean achieving high outcomes in actual learning. The solution clearly lies in a more realistic evaluation mechanism in our school system. While it is good to know that we have a high percentage of young people with a competitive edge, it is imperative that we make our higher institutions of learning as competitive when it comes to teaching standards and create more berths for students at the state level rather than have them flock to Delhi or known hubs. At the same time, more disciplines need to be developed so that students can stream into their chosen vocation with a specific qualifier entry test matching their skills. Till we arm every student with an opportunity to make good, the larger purpose of education in developing potential will be unmet.

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