Fair academic assessment is students’ right

This picture has been used for representational purpose

With the hullabaloo around the board exams having taken up much of the schools' and parents' mindspace, it seems to have suddenly dawned on all concerned that there are those from Stds I to IX and Std XI who also need their lives and futures figured out.

A report in this paper stated that teachers have demanded clarity from the state government on how to assess these students this year. With there being complete confusion on online learning, where some students have suffered owing to lack of access to technology, teachers are staring at a huge challenge regarding fair assessment.

It is but natural for teachers to be worried. Last year, the lockdown meant all students were hastily promoted to the next class. Throughout the past year, online learning has been an unequal ground that both students and teachers have navigated, with there being no way of finding out just how much students have been able to understand and grasp. It seems clear that in-class teaching can never be replaced by online learning and weaker students may have suffered greatly in the process.

In this scenario, an exam would be a good indicator of where everyone stands, but how to do this fairly is the question.

The government should have taken the matter more seriously as the academic future of lakhs of students is on the line. Merely promoting them to the next class is not the solution.

There will be an entire section of students who will then be going to the next class, without having understood much of the previous one. This could prove detrimental in the long run.

What the government needs to urgently do is meet all stakeholders, parents included, and come up with an assessment solution that will do justice to all.