Y.S. RANA, CHANDIGARH—Students up to Class VIII in schools should up their sleeves as the ‘ghost of examination’ will be visiting their schools soon as the new education policy is on anvil. The state of education across the country may have an indefinite past and an imperfect present but given the indulgence and thrust of the Union HRD ministry in shoring up education standards, it can surely and definitely look forward to a perfect future.
No-fail policy in school introduced by the UPA government five years ago is failing miserably, now is up for review as many think it has resulted in decline in standard and quality of education in the country. To discuss the draft of new policy and for its approval, the education ministers of north Indian states will be meeting in a conference to be held on October 31 in Gurgaon. The conference will be chaired by Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister for Human Resource Development.
Stating this to media, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, Haryana Education Minister said that as per ministry’s plan, wide range discussions on draft of new education policy were held in all 6072 villages of the State and added that about two lakh people had given their suggestions on it. Same exercise was held in other northern states. The minister further disclosed that the draft of new education policy was ready and would be approved after discussion in the conference. The national policy on education was last updated in 1992 and now needs to be reviewed.
The HRD ministry has planned to reach out not just to all states across the country but also right down to village level to hold 2.5 lakh meetings at village level, 626 meetings at district levels and 3500 in urban local bodies before drafting the new education policy.
The minister admitted that ‘No-fail’ policy in school introduced by the UPA government five years ago has failed in giving desired results. It has deteriorated the level of education. “His government has decided to re-introduce the previous system,” said he.
While talking to the official of the education department, Chandigarh, admitted that earlier education policy not to fail any student from Class I to Class VIII has declined the standard and quality of education. The no-exam policy has subsequently resulted in lack of interest in academic competition and deprived students of essential hard study and mental fibre.
Experts in education say that the Right to Education (RTE) Act-2009 may bring India in line with over 100 countries across the world that provide free and compulsory education to children. They posed a question whether it created only a crowd of partially literate population instead of genuinely educated and employable one. The idea behind the Act that every child between the age of 6-14 has the right to free and compulsory education but is it logical to hold no-fail policy and admitting children in classes according to their age not to their academic standard, say they.
In the country with a burgeoning population having policies that merely help in inflating the literacy rate rather than providing proper education to the children could be dangerous.
Making education accessible to all children in India is a first step; however the act requires several amendments addressing the no fail policy and no examination policy, to check literacy inflation. On a more practical thought, the government needs to ensure that a standard level of teaching is met all over the country. Merely passing laws is not going to do the job, until the situation on the ground changes.
In a country with a burgeoning population, having policies that merely assist in inflating the literacy rate rather than educating the population can be dangerous. Should the Right to Education be called just the Right to go to School instead?