The bane of Marksism

                                         

Recently results of annual exams in schools have been declared. The Reaction of most of us regarding marks obtained by our children in exams confirm that our examination system in schools is still obsessed with marks. This obsession is also because of mad rush for admission to prestigious institutions and highly rated disciplines for which the cut off marks touches 100%.

This system promotes abhorrently cut-throat competition that makes students feel incompetent and, therefore, subjects students to immense pressure.

Moreover, the focus on getting higher marks than their peers makes students learn in individual silos and limits their collective growth.

Do scores always correspond with one’s understanding of a subject? Is it justified that a student is evaluated only on the basis of her/his performance for the duration of three hours of the exam? Or the mastery over the subject, creativity, hands-on skill, project based learning and various other brain-powered  competencies are better indicators of learning outcomes for aligning better with future skills needs?

It's high time that our exam system starts looking beyond "mugging-up" and memory tests. The rote-learning has already done enough damage to our education system.

 

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” – Mark Twain