Albert Einstein once quite rightly said “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live his whole life thinking that he is a fool.”For some parents, the only thing that matters most is whether their own child scored more marks than the neighbour’s child or not. Parents must understand that each child has his own individual ability and does things in his or her own way.
The real complexity is that people have no idea of what education truly is. We evaluate the value of education in the same manner as we review the value of land or of shares. We want to provide only such education as would enable the student to earn more rather than learn more. We barely give any thought to the development of the character of the educated.
The foremost trigger for giving more weightage to marks over knowledge is the special “cut-off” system of Delhi University. Students thrive to take admissions in top colleges of Delhi University but also fail to understand that marks and cut-offs don’t determine a student’s future and also don’t certify his or her level of intelligence or knowledge. Scoring above 90% in board exams is easy by mugging up and processing of same old questions but the major challenge is to learn and absorb knowledge as the education system itself does not encourage people to learn more over earn more. The entire system needs to understand that a student might not do well in board exams but may be intellectual enough to clear entrance test of a top college or institute which might not take him just because of low marks in class XIIth. The irony is that the system itself does not absorb the cream due to ignorance of knowledge of marks and calls the only the high-scorers cream of the university.
It is quite evident in case of Guru Gobind Indraprastha University that entrance system can be very successful with regard to under graduation courses. The successful implementation of the universities rank system of the common entrance tests(CETs) has lead to absorbing many deserving students for professional as well and vocational courses. Many universities are changing their system from cut-offs to CETs. CETs also give the young aspirants another chance to show their skills and knowledge if they were not able to score well in senior secondary examination.
Indian students are fanatical about only a few educational institutes and universities like the IIT’s, IIM’s, University of Delhi etc. Centre plans to establish more IITs, IIMs and other govt. funded institutions. It fails to recognize that India as a whole is in no famine of educational institutions. Indian institutions lack not in quantity but quality. Strategies and special reforms should be implemented to improve the existing schools, colleges and other institutions promoting higher education so that there is no disparity between the ones at the top. This will ensure there is no unnecessary rat race prevalent in our schools and colleges specially with regard to scoring high marks by mugging up preplanned set of questions and not understanding the significance of aspects like logical reasoning, quant, English, general knowledge etc. which are appropriately covered in most of the CETs held by various institutions and universities.
It is only appropriate education that can change the outlook of the Indian society at large. Entrepreneurship will spot an increase in employment and will result in the sustainable and economic growth in the country. Our country can achieve great goals in the area of research as well. Indian institutes and universities will also attract many foreign students if passable changes are made and will also bring advancement in tourism and international rankings of our educational institutes, colleges, universities and schools.
At Present getting close to 100% seems to be a prerequisite for admission to many Delhi University colleges in the current era where the reduction is not only higher, but much higher! In such a situation, University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh recently said he was not a big fan of this plan, and students were left stunned. Now that the University of Delhi Education Council is approving the Common Entrance Test (CET) program for admission to postgraduate study sessions, young people who have been part of the rat race to reach their favorite reputed college. what works for them – cuts or CET?
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