Earlier in the month of May 2020, many universities and colleges across the country had decided to cancel the final exams due to the COVID situation, and allot marks/grades based on the student’s year long performance. Yesterday (on 6th July 2020) the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a circular which stated that the final term examinations are to be compulsorily conducted for call colleges/universities in India. Following this the UGC also clarified that they are in favor of holding final exams, and will ask all universities/colleges to conduct the final exams. What this means is that ‘Students in their final year of colleges/universities across India will HAVE to take their final year exams this year‘. Exams may most likely be held sometime in September 2020.
WHAT’S OUR OBSESSION WITH EXAMS ?
The decision makers who yesterday decided that exams should be conducted clarified saying “In the interest of the students and academic credibility, exams cannot be bypassed and institutions must have final exams”
Seriously? Exams cannot be Bypassed? – Do we realize that we have turned into a society where the ‘credibility’ of students is determined by their performance in exams? Do we realize the psychology affects this kind of mentality has on students and how it negatively affects ‘learning’?
Do we realize that our obsession for exams and ‘marks’ has adversely effected our ethical values ?
Well my rambling could go on and on, but is anybody listening ? 🙂 The COVID pandemic had given us an opportunity to reinvent the way we think and live. Educational institutions could easily shift paradigm and adopt methodologies that focus on ‘learning’ rather than ‘grades and exams’. But I guess we are just eager to get back to the same old ways – where exams are everything, where the focus is on seeking degrees and grades, and not education 🙂
PS:
Has anybody thought of those students who planned to start their jobs or further education from August/September? Now will they have to cancel/postpone those plans as they would have final term exams to attend in September (and then wait for their results which again would take a few more month to come by) ?
In 2005 Jay Rege, along with his wife Jothsna Rege, co-founded Academy One, a career guidance and study abroad counseling venture. Prior to co-founding Academy One, he worked as a software developer with HCL Technologies. He holds a computer engineering degree from Mumbai University and a MBA from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, USA. He has also been a visiting faculty at a few colleges where he teaches topics related to entrepreneurship.