[email protected] justtrying email nelson lopes
On Mon, Sep 10, 2018 at 1:26 PM, Nelson Lopes <[email protected]> wrote: > Who discredited the concept of mass promotions in schools > > The idea of mass promotion from std III to std VIII was well thought of a > plan. The students were promoted, irrespective of their performance in all > the tests held during the year, provided that they obtained minimum marks > in failed subjects. Earlier too condonation up to 35 marks were granted, > subject to 10/15 marks in each subject. The liberal, unquestionable > internal marks made the promotion as easy too. The need to > maintain divisions and avoid retrenchment of staff was another option for > promotions. The teachers.parents students took it very lightly being > indifferent to the progress and need to exert themselves. The remedial > classes remained merely on paper as a formality, without ever identifying > the slow learners and bringing them up to the required academic standards, > The provision for re examination of failures was not a priority as > it involved additional work > The unpleasant effects of failures appeared in std X at the public > examinations. It was all attributed to mass promotions making the concept > an scapegoat for convenience and rationalisation .To circumvent this > malady the detentions were strictly enforced in Std IX. Our schools are > mostly concerned with reputation of school standing. All our energies, > efforts are geared to achieve 100 % public results. The efficiency of the > teacher is measured by performance in public examinations only. The efforts > of extra classes, re -exam are a very distinguishing feature in std X only > with classes beginning soon after the summer break ,and utilizing, Diwali, > Ganesh and Christmas break. The principle of breaks for students benefit > and stressed teacher is ignored. There is a semblance of retest in Std IX > for maintaining strength for existing divisions .The Education Dept > monitors detentions in all classes as a measure to gauze this problem and > questions them on measures adopted > Since our popularity in academic circles depend entirely on results of STD > X public examination, the poor performance is related to mass promotions > from std I to VIII as the cause for this malady. No credit is bestowed on > the school for achievements , in sports,culture and other co-curricular > activities The barometer of popularity is public examinations in the final > analysis > The efforts . concerns,and passions displayed in preparation for std X > exam do not filter down to lower classes. The standard of passing from Std > IV to VIII was subject to minimum level of performance (marks in group of > subjects up to 4) even in the mass promotion.The teachers, students, > parents do not exert themselves by extra classes,tuition, remedial or re > examination. The escape goat is mass promotion and emphasis is on academic > performance per se > In India where a sizable population of students is outside the formal > education system.the detained students become dropouts too early in life. > The parents are busy eking out a bare sustenance of existence. Out of > school controlled environment dropouts are subjected to vices in the > society.Keeping them in schools at least for 8 years, it was intended to > develop, skills , punctuality, interests values, in other fields that would > keep them fruitfully occupied and increase literacy with maturity. There > are no vocational opportunities for drop outs to be fruitfully enraged. who > are not academically inclined to continue formal education There are enough > stories of successful people without completion of formal > education. Failures, detained students had another opportunity just to > appear for examination without attending the school, but this provision too > is never invoked for the benefit of the students. Hence all the > inbuilt safeguard to address the mass promotion were thrown to the winds > The whole present system of Education is loaded for the benefit of > academically inclined . Institutions, parents, educators are seeking > glory by the crown of achievements in Std X public examination. No > importance is given to other fields and activities and total development > of the personality of the student, The dropouts are treated as lepers in > educational parlance. Hence the idea of keeping them in school environment > is defeated by the lobby of academic result oriented mind set. Even if half > the efforts put in at std X preparation were adopted, the non detention > policy is educationally sound. An analysis, of those passing the Std X > examination will be shocking in the level of desirable standards achieved. > Hence retaining students in schools for a minimum period as was envisaged > was sound, but unfortunately sabotaged by mass movement by academic > consideration only > We are all examination oriented and dominated society. We cannot think > without and beyond examination as the only parameter to measure > achievement. .The so called mass promotion failure is due to our > negative attitude of failure to adjust to the larger goal of education > > Nelson Lopes Chinchinim > > Click here to Reply, Reply to all, or Forward > >
