food for thought

The CBSE question paper leak has severely dented the morale of students across the country. A whole lot of CBSE-affiliated schools have come up in the Northeast too in recent times. The thinking is that the CBSE model of learning and examition is more comprehensive and meets the academic challenges of the time, unlike the State models. The impression is that question papers set by the CBSE are more diverse and not picked up straight from the prescribed texts. This time, however, in both Class X and Class XII mathematics papers, questions were set largely from among textbook problems with which students are familiar and which they find easier too. Since Class X maths paper has been leaked, students will have to take another test, along with students with economics in Class XII, the paper of which too has been leaked.

There are three victims in the case. First, it is the students who have been victimized for absolutely no fault of theirs. When a student takes a test in a subject like mathematics generally reckoned as the toughest one, that too the first test of his life conducted by a tiol board to enter a new and more rigorous world of higher secondary education, and when he is required to take the same test with a different set of questions because the earlier test stands cancelled due to paper leak, it has a very damaging effect on his psychological state. This is very detrimental to the young and impressioble minds. It sends out a very wrong sigl. But what?

This brings us to the second point. These hapless students completely lose their faith in the very education system they have been with thus far, especially the examition system that they can no longer rely on. Not only do they get angry and frustrated with the system as is clear from the many protests across the country, including in the Northeast too, they also tend to ridicule the system. The system loses its worth – whatever it has had until now. Repair to the damage done to the very authenticity of the system becomes a Herculean task then, no matter how soothing the HRD Minister’s words may seem to be.

And third, it is the parents too who have to endure the angst borne of a system whose reliability has been badly shredded. What is their fault?

Be it the CBSE paper leak or what has befallen the Assam HS Council (it has lately started some reforms measures though), the issue assumes great gravity because it entails very young people with very impressioble minds. Does this augur well for the future of our society? Even if the culprits are caught, can the damage done to these younger lot be ever undone?

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