Interaction session
Plus Two students, teachers and parents at an interaction session in Coimbatore on Monday.The present education system is a pointer towards a harrowing future. One in which, students are trained to ignore their creative potential. This is the collective opinion of students, teachers and parents who feel the teaching-learning system needs a total makeover. In an interaction organised by The Hindu, Plus-Two students, teachers and parents, spoke their hearts out on the inherent flaws of the system and the plight of the students. “Students cannot write the answers in their own words. If the keywords are missing, we as teachers cannot give marks, even if we know the answer is correct,” says Mini Rajagopal, teacher at A.Ramasamy Matriculation Higher Secondary School.The system not only restricts the thinking ability of the student but confines his or her vocabulary to those mentioned in the text books, they say. The keyword system should be abolished, says R.Pushpa, a teacher at Sindhi Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School.Also, the syllabus is not updated to match the requirements of the present world, teachers point out.As far as the parents are concerned, their child’s performance in the examination is what matters. “If my son does not come into the top mark bracket, which college will give him an admission?” asks Usha Kumar, a parent. The problem worsens if the student has taken up science or maths. With the abolition of the entrance examination, admission to professional colleges has become chaotic. “If two students have obtained the same cut off marks, the next thing that is taken into consideration is their date of birth. Does that follow any logic,” asks S. Jayashree Suresh, another parent. Parents, teachers and students want the entrance examination to be reintroduced.
For the students, it’s all about pressure – The pressure from parents, teachers and within themselves. “The pressure builds automatically. The challenge lies in being able to handle it well,” says S.Anjan, a Plus Two student from SBKV Matriculation Higher Secondary School. Most schools complete their portions by December. The students get three to four months to revise. “The pressure becomes unbearable if the student has not been able to cover the portions by that time,” says V.Janaarth, G.Ramaswamy Naidu Matriculation Higher Secondary School.“The allocation of time during the examination is not scientific,” points out C.Uma Maheswari, teacher at Perks Matriculation School. All examinations are of three hours duration irrespective of the subject. “For subjects such as economics, we have a lot to write. Three hours is not enough,” says S.Radhika, a student of S.B.K.V Matriculation Higher Secondary School.All these teachers, parents and students have a few tips for the entire student community who will take the examinations on March 3 - sleep well and have lean nutritious food. They could even try yoga or meditation to remain stress-free.
