In 2001 our govt. suddenly decided to introduce Grading system in public examinations (SSC, HSC) without going through a systematic process of justifying and educating the stakes (teachers, students) about the system. However, it took two or three years for the stakes to cope with the system, meanwhile some batches went through huge academic losses because of low understandability and multiple changes of decision regarding the ‘Range’ of grades and the weight of ‘Elective’ subject. In the recent time, all the shakes and hazards have almost been overcome and stakes are almost habituated with the system in spite of having a ‘question mark’ behind the quality of the primary and secondary education.
Very recently the govt. has introduced two more public examinations named Primary School Certificate (PSC) and Junior School Certificate (JSC). There is no wrongness with this introduction but to the utter surprise we have observed that grading system prevails in JSC exams while traditional Division system prevails in PSC exams. So what is the use of this inconsistent result system? Why did the authority think that it would be wrong to introduce Grading system in PSC? Wouldn’t it be much easier for the students completing primary education to cope with the grading system if it were introduced in their PSC?
When the authority was introducing grading system for the first time in the country, they said the objective of this system is to remove the discrimination among the students. Now the question is what is going on now in case of PSC. Newspapers are publishing the sweet faces of first, second, third ranks! I am not belittling the top ranked students but I am pointing the justification of the objective whether the objective was correctly identified or not. If the objective is well defined, why this inconsistency is going on! To me it is just lack of sincerity to follow a systematic process of taking decision also lack of coordination. And that is why we always lack a composite plan of development not in education but also in other sectors.
Chittagong
January 7, 2011
Very sensible argument Dipu but unfortunately your Government lacks consistency in almost all that it does. I have no answers as to how this problem can be overcome but hopefully they will listen to the opinions of others like yourself and adopt more sensible policies in the future.
ReplyDeleteIt's a frustrating matter. We know the problem, we know the solution but there is no change. That's really frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI feel happy that at last Primary Education Board has come to the tract! They are publishing the result in terms of GPA. :-)
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