Compulsory pass to be scrapped; kids in quandary
Students committing suicide is even more gory than the farmers ending their lives in this country. There would be some report or the other about some student ending his or her life somewhere in the state starting from March to June every year. This happens like series of events. Education today is another version of child labour. While young children work to earn money in factories and other places, other children work to bring marks for their parents’ satisfaction.
Those who score less marks come under assumption that their entire life is over. They face criticism by their parents, humiliation by the society and insults by many others. All this destroys their confidence and will power. Those kids who are yet to face life, surrender to death. Just to ensure children remain safe and protected from this phase, kids from seventh and eighth standard were kept away from this difficult test. This was inevitable for many reasons. Primary and high school education is just a phase to identify the talent present in children.
To deny an opportunity for the students to go further in studies by limiting the education to scoring marks, is to trample a bud before it blooms. This was one of the major factors for the increasing number of school drop outs in the past. Education experts feel children learn better and with great interest when they do not experience the pressure of having to score marks. A child can grow up to be anything. A painter, a singer or a writer, just about anything. All this is a part of the education, say the experts. Just because a student cannot excel in a topic, he or she cannot be declared dumb or unfit for further education. They may have immense opportunities to achieve something in a field of their choice or interest. To stop him from going further, may actually rob all the opportunities the child has to do well elsewhere. Unfortunately, the new year has begun on a negative note for children of the nation. The right to education act 2009 had mentioned students should not be failed from class one to eighth under any circumstances and a suggestion to amend this bill to remove the ‘compulsory pass’ clause was passed in the parliament on January 3.
This decision by the parliament is somewhat a failure of the government which would be borne by the hapless students. Dilapidated buildings for schools, toilets that are absent, lack of school playing grounds, insufficiently educated teachers lacking empathy, the school administration that listens to government officials more than the headmaster, uniform syllabus that does not encourage learning and exam methods and systems that test the perseverance of young children, finally take a toll on them. Instead of fixing this, the government seems to think compulsory pass is leading to collapse of education standards among children.
Central government has said this amendment is supported by the states that have the interest if children’s education in mind. States were asked about their stance on this topic in 2015. Some states had said they would like to retain compulsory pass and even gave reasons as to why they’d prefer that since they had the interest of children’s future in mind. Some other states had given suggestions that had completely ignored the challenges of present.
Some states wanted to do away with the compulsory pass, while some remained neutral. To penalize kids and force them to learn is a violation of their rights, instead of modifying pedagogy and methods of teaching. The change has to happen in teaching methods, and not in scrapping compulsory pass. Education is not passing on information or helping them score marks. It is something that allows their personality to bloom and waters the talents they may have within them. This is the responsibility of government, teachers and educational institutions. Since the stakeholders have failed in imparting their duties, they have decided to scrap compulsory pass and penalize students for no fault of theirs. Making students sit in the same class for years never yields good results. This has been shown by experiments worldwide. This has more negative effects than positive. Yet, the government is instituting that the problem with skills has arisen due to compulsory pass bill in primary classes.
Children will get into a fix with this decision of the government. While kids are already taking drastic steps as ending lives unable to withstand the PUC and SSLC exam performance pressures, this may affect 7th std kids too in the future. Changes don’t assure improvement. The government should spare a thought about how this can help better future of children too. Government has to retreat from the proposed amendment for compulsory pass order.
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Australia bundled out for 104 as India take 46-run first-innings lead
Perth (PTI): Pacer Jasprit Bumrah completed his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests as Australia were bundled out for 104 at lunch, losing the remaining three wickets in the morning session on Day 2 to give India a handy 46-run first-innings lead in the opening match here on Saturday.
For India, captain Jasprit Bumrah (5/30) was the pick of the bowlers while Mohammed Siraj (2/20) and debutant Harshit Rana (3/48) also chipped in.
It was a abject surrender from Australia, who could add just 37 runs to their overnight score of 67/7, thanks chiefly to tail-ender Mitchell Starc (26), who emerged the highest scorer for his side
Bumrah struck the first blow on Saturday, dismissing keeper-batter Alex Carey (21) off the first ball of his over as the Australian could add just two runs to his overnight score.
India were all out for 150 from 49.4 overs at the stroke of tea on Friday.
Brief Scores:
India: 150 all out in 49.4 overs vs Australia: 104 all out in 51.2 overs (Alex Carey 21, Mitchell Starc 26; Jasprit Bumrah 5/30, Harshit Rana 3/48, Mohammed Siraj 2/20).
