Understandably, the National Education Policy cannot be implemented overnight. But then the process must start at some point. Now where it gets going is crucial. Reportedly, the government has decided to extend the primary education up to class VIII and hence do away with the Primary School Certificate (PSC) examination at the end of class V from next year. Instead, the PSC examination will be held for evaluation of class VIII examinees. No Junior School Certificate (JSC) exam will ever be held thereafter.
The merit of stratifying education into tiers like this is beyond question. But has enough homework been done to make the most out of the move? If primary school final examination is held for the eighth grade, should the twelfth grade alone be meant for selection of students for higher studies or not? The Secondary School Certificate examination then logically becomes redundant. If the education authorities are serious about extending the secondary education up to class XII is not yet clear. It seems they are acting more as a reaction to the criticism of the two public examinations for class V and VIII instead of taking a long view of the situation.
Time may come soon when the authorities will regret their decisions for neglecting the early phase of primary education. It would certainly be good for students and guardians at this stage because of the abolition of the public examination for class V. They will be free from the repressive system of coaching, guide book procurement and solution. But alternatively there is no arrangement for them to learn their lessons thoroughly. In the past when students passing out from primary schools started their course in secondary schools, their outrageous poor knowledge was exposed. Instances were there where influential people's wards topped the merit list of primary school final examinations only to prove their pathetic plight in the next class.
It was such a reality that demanded the introduction of the primary school final public examination. But it has proved a poor substitute as well. The fact is that the quality of education leaves much to be desired. What is most important here is the kind of teachers teaching at this level. Qualified and competent teachers are a rare species in this part of the world now. With all their blemishes, the majority of teachers in the past knew their subjects well. Their only lacking was that they often meted out physical or corporal punishment but they were sincere and certainly not guided by greed for money.
One would be happy if this could be said about today's teachers. In villages both primary and secondary schools have mostly teachers who are only so in name. They took to teaching simply because they had no other option. The recruitment process is either faulty or corrupt so much so that candidates with no quality make it to the teaching profession on the strength of bribe or donation money. When their integrity is in question, it is futile to expect them to fully devote themselves to the profession. So on the one hand, they are poorly qualified for the job and on the other they are not true to their profession.
This is the number one area that needed to be taken care of first in order to correct the wrong done to young learners. The unsuspecting learners are not to blame. It is the system of education that has done the greatest injustice to them. Introduction of multiple choice questions (MCQ) and now the pattern's withdrawal under consideration show how indecisive and unmindful the policymakers are to the learners. Their creativity is stifled at the beginning of their schooling. Modern teaching has gone a long way where students are inspired to discover their inner strength. They must enjoy what they learn and it is the teachers' duty to present the lesson in an innovative and pleasant manner so that students' attention does not dissipate. The classroom ambience has to be participatory and enjoyable.
Physical infrastructure of educational institutions comes to play a vital role here. Sports and facilities for extra-curricular activities, library and laboratory count high on the agenda of infrastructure. Diverse talents of students must have the opportunities for early exploration and gradual cultivation.
So before taking such a decision, there was a need for taking stock of the quality of teachers and infrastructure in primary and secondary schools in the country. The way decisions are changed and imposed on young learners prompts many people to criticise moves like this as frequent experiments with guinea pigs. Have not the PSC and JSC certificates of the past few years been good examples of an exercise in futility? Now the next move may meet a similar fate because of no preparation for the purpose.
If such systems are to be introduced, take at least a 10 years' programme to create the right environment. The current education budget of 11.6 per cent of the total budgetary outlay is only around 2.0 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Its share should be raised to 20 per cent of the total at the minimum so that it comes to 6.0 per cent of the GDP. Quality education needs far greater investment and implementation of the National Education Policy -- one that has the potential to transform the nation into productive human resources.
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