A student's life is never easy. he needs to gain enough knowledge. Knowledge, so that he can write in examination. So that he can score enough marks. Marks that would satisfy his teacher's, that would satisfy his parent's or guardian's or even, in some cases, his tutor. So what is the purpose of his studying? Well, the obvious answer would be to gain knowledge. But that's where education in a student's life baffles me! No, the purpose of studying is not primarily to gain knowledge, its primary purpose is to make a student earn money in their life. Okay, let's see it this way, what does 90% of parents in the urban or metro cities want their child to study for? They'll give u only one answer- to earn money, at some point, by virtue of it. So is knowledge important to them? duh! if it fetches money of course it is important. if it is not necessary, well, who cares!
So does the student study to learn or does he study for knowledge? can he? he cannot. Let me tell you a school boy of 10 years, whose parents have rested all their hopes on that boy for studying, giving him expensive formal education, is not even in the position to decide what is right for him and what is not, he is not old enough to do so. he can't make that choice in that young an age with all that family pressure on his head. bottom line is- primary education should always start from home.
Now, how is his knowledge tested? Or rather, how does a teacher, a school or an institution find out how much a student has studied? How much knowledge he has acquired? How much understanding of the subjects he has developed? That process is known as examinations. so, in that case this examinations or in short exams (as they are called) are a very important part of a students life, right? Yup. Very important. They are almost as important as knowledge itself, right? err.. umm.. Actually they are even more important than knowledge. This is the bitter truth. yes, a lot of people will disagree with this. most people will say otherwise. quite naturally. but what they overlook is the fact that, knowledge takes u forward in life, but how far you actually go is unfortunately determined by exams!
So are exams, the best way to judge a student's knowledge? No. Not at all. It's not the best way. But unfortunately, Its the only way in Indian education system. This does not count only for primary education or higher secondary education, but for higher studies as well. to be a doctor you have to sit for a series of examinations at the end of the semester, or even to be a scientist you have to go through examinations. these exams doesn't test the knowledge you have, but they test how much you have learned about the syllabus that has been prepared for you.
But what do you do after you've gone through all the exams. Simple, you get marks and ranks, which tells you how good or bad a student you are/were. The numbers you get the grades you receive will define you what student you are, and what you're knowledge level is. is that a real or true representation of your knowledge?? hmmmm.. Even though more than 70% students in the country(comprising various education stages) study only to get good marks, I'm sorry to disappoint them but it does not give the true representation of a students knowledge, his capability, his talent. his talent may be superior than the magnitude of his marks, or it may even may be inferior than his marks suggest. but we can never know that, unfortunately, coz there is no other way of assessment. Hard to imagine the fact that, what work you do or what job you get is dependent on what marks you get, but not how good you can do that work, how good you are actually at it. A person with better marks may get a job that another person is naturally better at, but lacks the marks of the other person.
why? because they both sat for the same exam, and one got more marks than other.
Okay, to conclude, all I want to say is I'm not an "idealist" neither am I a "sensationalist", nor am I an "intellectual person". but yes, the truth would always be "in your face", rather than hiding behind your conscience if you are honest with yourself, which fortunately or unfortunately I am..
As long as this system exists, we all (that includes me as well) will follow it, adapt to it. some people do it very well, some not very well, some struggle, while some are eliminated at a very primary level. its struggle for existence, and its in everywhere, so why not in education!!!
P.S- All people do not have the same views, this is my from viewpoint (based on reality) doesn't mean everyone should have the same opinion.
All facts and figures used are true, and are not made up.
truttttthhhhhhh...but what is knowledge??????in simple way it is your capability of understanding and make others understanding any idea in simple way with simple examples, by simple words. so this can happen in any time irrespective of system. Einstein failed in exam but not stopped acquiring knowledge. we are not Einstein but we still follow his path. say how????see a farmer is more knowledgeable in agriculture than a scientist,a mechanic is more knowledgeable in reaparing automobile than mechanical engineers. isn't it???? but they failed to have proper education due social constrains. in short what is important is that.....how you acquire knowledge,,, how much inner feeling you have to know more and more about any subject. most of Indian students don't have such motive or inner call.
ReplyDeletei am not telling education system is prefect. but what i like to point is that like our faulty education system,, our students also have faulty notion about knowledge. they measure their knowledge by scoring higher and thinking lower, not by scoring lower and thinking higher. that's the problem..which could be resolved if we change
I agree with you. almost completely. xcept one thing. yes the fault lies with the modern day students of this country as well. I don't deny that. but almost all of them behave like the way they have been brought up in their family. not necessarily their family alone or only, but also the environment. they behave like the way or rather study like the way they have been made to learn from their childhood. that may be due to their home, or their school or even private tutors. they are not free thinkers like the examples you gave. how can they attain knowledge, the way u said above, if they dont have the capacity to think freely.. but thanx for ur comments.. love ur sharp insights!! :D
Deleteagain true....but is knowledge is something which can be influence by environment ur talking about????? search a student in 100 or 1000 or even 1 IITians in 1000 who really think of knowledge rather than scoring in exam. did ambanis son is knowledgebal no....he don have any pressure any strings for not acquirng knowledge...but then also they are exam dumbos.
Deleteyou require inner call....Einstein was not very rich then also he acquired it....give a student an environment of freeness, freedom everythng hewant..then ask him what is newton's law...he will reply same as written in bok..
i challenge
i am sorry but u r not commenting on what i said. but rather u r contradicting what u r saying yourself!!! pls read ur last comment.. your last two lines dont make any sense!!! u r contradicted yourself.
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