A welcome move by The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination or CISCE in the recent guidelines issued to all the affiliated schools for class 9^th and 11th. Will it reduce the burden on our children?

Read this post to delve deeper into patterns bringing upside and flipside of this decision- one side parents’ educational expectations from children and on the other schools show off students grades as hoops jumped through marks scored in board exams as a yardstick of their own success. Where do our children stand in this scrimmage?

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) announced that the council will prepare Question Papers in the core subjects for Classes IX and XI from the academic year 2018-19 onwards. These will be utilized by all its affiliated schools internally, in the Annual Examinations. Two sets of question papers will be prepared for each of these levels, one for the hill schools to be conducted in November/December and the other for the plain schools to be conducted in February / March.

In the circular the CISCE clearly mentioned following objectives for this decision:

1. To maintain a uniformity in all its affiliated schools across India and abroad regarding the syllabus to be completed at the Class IX and Class XI level. This will help to streamline and strengthen our examination system further.
    
2. To ensure a proportionate portion of the syllabus is duly covered in each of the two-year course and that there is no over-burdening of the students at any one particular level. As due weightage will be given to all chapters/units in the bifurcated syllabus, this will discourage cramming.
    
3. To standardize the level of teaching and learning in all Council affiliated schools across India and abroad. This will ensure comprehensive learning at each level.
    
4. To synchronize the syllabus with the examination system and to familiarize the students with the pattern and format of the Examination Question Papers for the Board Examinations.
    
5. To ensure the proper dissemination of knowledge at each level and encourage the ease of the transfer of knowledge from the teacher to the taught.

The guidelines clearly support the idea – “SLOW DOWN” both for the parents and schools. The upside of the decision is schools will have to adhere to the grade wise syllabus as the question paper will be based on particular grade. Now see the flipside and in my opinion, it is a push towards marks system rather than education system change. Two more exams added to the already existing pattern, two more years of a crucial evaluation of capabilities on the basis of marks for children.

Do Parents Need To SLOW DOWN?

Parents are trying to push the gas more than the engine’s capacity that’s the reality of maximum children in our country. Before our children understand what are the career options available? There is a world full of opportunities and potential available for the non-engineering and medicine degrees. A bomb is dropped without prior knowledge appear for a screening test for pre-IIT coaching. Parents are as unaware of the opportunities available to lead the happy life rather than grill for the 4 years.

There is a necessity for earning well in life but it could happen by pursuing the field of interest and without slogging for 4 years straight.

Coaching institutes are offering courses for pre_IIT from grade 8^th. Parents try to enroll their children in the best coaching center for engineering as early as 7^th grade. Coaching institutes also want the best so taking pre-screening test for three to four best coaching center in the vicinity is common practice.  

“When the children are in grade 8^th they are burdened by the pressure to perform in 10^th board exams, parellelly the preparation to get into top Engineering college & 12^th board exams adds to ponderous efforts stealing away 4 precious years from child's life."

Parents, are you thinking? If the child doesn’t clear the pre-screening for coaching then what happens? The morale and the self-esteem of the child takes a downwards swing. Over that comparison with the next door child who got through kills the confidence. The education system atleast provides age-specific guidelines and curriculum if we follow it year on year and years ahead it can ease the pressure among children to a great extent. They can enjoy their most beautiful formative years with positivity for the future.

Do Schools Need To Slow Down?

There is a race to show the achievement of the students by every school. The schools want to take the credit for it all and the best measurement is the academic achievement of children in board classes. As soon as the child enters 8^th grade, a portion of 9^th grade starts along with 8^th. By the time midterm of the 9^th grade is reached the entire syllabus for grade 10^th is also half-way. The burden of extra marks and overloaded curriculum leaves child no time to pursue extra-curricular activities and hobbies. The rigor of academics at schools follows through homework at home.

Despite the performing arts, yoga and physical education being mandatory subjects by the various boards the schools give these subjects a back seat. An eighth grader who just enters teen years goes through many changes emotionally and socially -a time he/she needs our support, a time to sow a seed of healthy moral value based foundation. All we push them is to think of marks… Somewhere schools have to think about their role.

“Are the schools contributing to the stagnation of 3-4 years in the child’s life by introducing academic burden?”

Meaninglessness of Academics

Saddled with a heavy load of the bag the child struggles and fails to find out the meaning of such rigor and what these efforts add to. This is what I call the only child labor in urban areas and catching up fast in semi-urban and tier 3 and 4 cities and towns.

This situation exists in many schools; it is not about ICSE board, but schools with other boards (CBSE or state board) are all a part of the system. We have created a system called schools and net results we are reaping in the form of children who are not exactly smiling, teachers who feel burdened, devoid for the most part delight of discovery.

Education must empower us, enlighten us towards our responsibilities, teach us to respond to given context with wisdom and character. A society without character is evil said Gandhiji and snare to our society.

Education is a bridge to climb epitome of knowledge and character. It is not possible to cross the chasm on a bridge that exists only on the paper. It will be burdensome indeed.

The post invites parents, educators and policy makers to give a deep thought and participate in a conversation to shine the light about  NexSchools Idea for Change -education system vs examination system because - we don't have an education system, we have an examination system.

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References: excerpts from CISCE guidelines.

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