Should Class X Exams Become Optional?
Examinations are like nightmare for the students. I believe in examination system being abolished all over the world. Schools and Colleges should nurture the all round personality of the student and make them well prepared for the challenges ahead in their personal, professional and social life. How can you judge a student based on their marks? We have seen many examples in life that students who have not well in their education but go on to have successful professional life. There have been many examples, where students doing well in their studies and go on to be failure in their life. Examinations bring lot of stress to students. It should be completely scrapped. The education minister has taken good decision by making Class X Exams optional for CBSE Board. The other boards should also take cue from it. A one board exam in your twelfth standard is more then enough but there also most of the universities conduct entrance exams. Poor student has to prepare for both board exams and entrance examinations. Today you can notice children aged more then eleven are stuffed with so much home work and monthly tests that they don't get enough time for playing or extra curricular activities. There is so much pressure on these children put by their parents and teachers that they are not able to enjoy their childhood period.
The life has become very fast faced and we are not being able to enjoy small things of life. After this decision made by government, the main doubt is will the parents and teachers in school allow the students use the option of not writing the board exams. In India, parents are so obsessed with the marks and ranks of their children. Everyone wants a topper in their home. The children have to go through competition of life from their nursery school to the end of life. These days, nursery school also keeps interview for the kids. Isn't this crazy? We have too many monthly tests and examinations for students round the year. It should be reduced. We need to bring changes in our examination system. There should be more of practicals, objective types and open book examinations. I believe sports and extra curricular activities should be given equal importance as any subjects. The student should also be judged for these also. They should be thought practical aspects of like electricity work, carpentry, and painting, gardening and cooking. The country needs individuals coming out of schools and colleges, who are all round personality and good at multi tasking. I am very happy with the decision of government making Class X exams optional for CBSE Board students. Now it depends on students, if they would to take advantage of it or not.
-Pankaj Kumar Sinha
