NCERT has recommended to ban the word 'fail' from school life. Read about it here.
As usual NCERT seems to be attempting to cure the symptoms rather than the problem. Instead of banning the use of the term ‘fail’ they should try and improve the overall conditions so that students don’t fall in that category. An improvement in the basic educational facilities for starters, better reach of the primary school system, improved syllabus, even something as primary as no spelling mistakes in text books can make a huge difference, improvement in the standard to teachers, improvement in the pay scales for teachers.
If students are not psychologically strong to handle the word ‘failure’ then they need some medical help because this isn’t the first or the last time they’re going to encounter it. The parents need to be educated to act as better support systems if need be. But banning this term is definitely not the solution to the problem they’re trying to address. The student instead of failing to clear his class would be repeating his class or would be proud that he's got an F grade!
An academically poor student will remain poor no matter what flowery terms NCERT uses. They’ve also suggested doing away with time limits for exams. Now through my experience of writing numerous exams from the time I was 4, I can confidently say that the time they allot for exams is enough to solve the paper if you know your stuff. If you don’t know what the hell the exam is all about then there’s really nothing that an added time can do. Extra time is only going to aid in copying and other examination malpractices which the NCERT has conveniently ignored over the years.
We, Indians anyways are not punctual. We don’t give much importance to deadlines, honour appointments but this would be legitimizing it in the worst way possible and inculcating that habit in the children right from the age of 10!
I completely understand giving extra time to students with physical disabilities or certain learning problems. That is the time they need to come at par with normal children. But children who do not study for exams deserve to do badly and deserve to fail.
Also, they’re planning to implement the ‘No Child Left Behind’ educational program like in the US. The US is having it’s fair share of problems with this program but that hasn’t stopped us from considering this path.
This is now an even hostile territory I’m entering. I just feel that in an attempt to ensure that all children pass we shouldn’t take down the national average. Instead of taking the benchmark lower in order to ensure that everyone passes how about raising them to the passing level? We have a good setup, which is making rest of the world play catch up but we need good implementation.
We do desperately need an improvement in the graduate and post graduate studies program but that can wait or atleast can afford to go on the slow track. But the basic educational facilities and primary schools program needs better implementation and reach.
We got more than enough of children in our country. We need intelligent Indians to drive the nation but going down this road we're destined to fail.
Cheers!
As usual NCERT seems to be attempting to cure the symptoms rather than the problem. Instead of banning the use of the term ‘fail’ they should try and improve the overall conditions so that students don’t fall in that category. An improvement in the basic educational facilities for starters, better reach of the primary school system, improved syllabus, even something as primary as no spelling mistakes in text books can make a huge difference, improvement in the standard to teachers, improvement in the pay scales for teachers.
If students are not psychologically strong to handle the word ‘failure’ then they need some medical help because this isn’t the first or the last time they’re going to encounter it. The parents need to be educated to act as better support systems if need be. But banning this term is definitely not the solution to the problem they’re trying to address. The student instead of failing to clear his class would be repeating his class or would be proud that he's got an F grade!
An academically poor student will remain poor no matter what flowery terms NCERT uses. They’ve also suggested doing away with time limits for exams. Now through my experience of writing numerous exams from the time I was 4, I can confidently say that the time they allot for exams is enough to solve the paper if you know your stuff. If you don’t know what the hell the exam is all about then there’s really nothing that an added time can do. Extra time is only going to aid in copying and other examination malpractices which the NCERT has conveniently ignored over the years.
We, Indians anyways are not punctual. We don’t give much importance to deadlines, honour appointments but this would be legitimizing it in the worst way possible and inculcating that habit in the children right from the age of 10!
I completely understand giving extra time to students with physical disabilities or certain learning problems. That is the time they need to come at par with normal children. But children who do not study for exams deserve to do badly and deserve to fail.
Also, they’re planning to implement the ‘No Child Left Behind’ educational program like in the US. The US is having it’s fair share of problems with this program but that hasn’t stopped us from considering this path.
This is now an even hostile territory I’m entering. I just feel that in an attempt to ensure that all children pass we shouldn’t take down the national average. Instead of taking the benchmark lower in order to ensure that everyone passes how about raising them to the passing level? We have a good setup, which is making rest of the world play catch up but we need good implementation.
We do desperately need an improvement in the graduate and post graduate studies program but that can wait or atleast can afford to go on the slow track. But the basic educational facilities and primary schools program needs better implementation and reach.
We got more than enough of children in our country. We need intelligent Indians to drive the nation but going down this road we're destined to fail.
Cheers!
1 comment:
hey really nice post...
ban the word "fail"? this is absolute rubbish idea.
we had a good method in our school where every academically weak student (those who would close to fail) sat next a academically strong one (the toppers of the class)..and it was the responsibility of the strong student to help the partner in her studies in school. That way the academically weak student was pulled up to par if not above average.
But if you didnt put in the effort, then you failed, plain and simple.
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