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Restructuring exam system

Kashmir Times. Dated: 3/17/2017 11:06:43 PM

Now is the time for consolidation of quality education for students in J&K instead of focusing on expansion of schools

The Jammu and Kashmir government ordering restructuring of the Board of Secondary Education (BOSE) examination system aimed at reforming the education pattern in the state is a welcome decision. In fact, such a step has been lingering on for many years when the previous reforms were carried over in 1980s for helping the students to get quality education through the network government-run schools across the state. Unfortunately, no serious attention has been paid to this sector for the last almost four decades as the stress has been expansion of the education network in J&K. The number of schools and colleges has been increasing at a high speed during the past three decades but sadly consolidation of the entire structure was not done for the reasons best known to the planners in the state. There have been some calls from the educationists to focus on consolidation of education system during the past two decades but no ground work has been done to suit requirements of the children and quality of education keeping pace with the changing environment around the world. Somehow, the state government has ordered the restructuring after the representations and suggestions have been made by all the stakeholders for changing the pattern of education and examinations. The suggestions also include rescheduling of the bi-annual and annual examination system besides increasing the number of teaching days in all the secondary schools. Moreover, a need has been felt time and again for changing the theory and practical science education and examinations because of the fact that desired results have been achieved in this field. Moreover, dissemination of information and knowledge has been founding lagging during the past many years particularly in science streams. The students do not appear to have learnt anything during the academic studies and have not been able to understand the entire pattern of science teaching in the schools and the pattern of examinations have been found faulty. In this direction, there is need for comprehensive review of the formal and informal education system that is being carried on in various schools and colleges of the state.
Apart from the shortcoming that have been plaguing the education system, there have been genuine suggestions from the experts to review of the time frame for the academic year and number of teaching days devoted in the schools for the students in both the summer and winter zones. The two schedules being followed by the BOSE till date has unfortunately been putting some students of winter zone or the summer belt to disadvantage when competitive tests and entrance examinations for professional colleges are conducted. The basic aim of the entire exercise has been to prepare students for combined entrance examinations to professional course by providing a level field to all of them irrespective of their background and the geographical region they study. The rescheduling of the examination system under the jurisdiction of BOSE has been found to be faulty and in most cases, the students have been losing many months in between the teaching classes and the examinations besides the holidays. There have been repeated discussions on how to reduce the gap between annual and bi-annual examinations particularly for secondary classes and also the long spell of holidays between examinations and declaration of results. Efforts definitely need to be made and put in practice for covering these gaps for making academic sessions and increased number of teaching days more productive for students. In a state like J&K, where talent abounds in many fields, the BOSE and the government should make an effort to provide equal opportunities to students of both the urban and rural areas by having level field so far as competing in the entrance examinations for professional courses is concerned. The idea of having special classes for this purpose does not come to the rescue of students who come from rural areas and have to knowledge of such courses. There is also urgent need to consolidate the number of teaching days for students in rural areas where teachers are found absenting for major part of the academic year. The students who were shown to have cleared BOSE examinations are unable to write the words or know their meanings, which they should have learnt in elementary school education. Same is the case with their knowledge of science subjects they are taught in remote areas. There is urgent need to consolidate quality education in all areas of the state for harnessing the talent of future generations.