No-failing rule fallout: Blank answer sheets

Schools see students from Std I to VIII taking it easy as RTE Act guarantees their promotion to the next grade

No-failing rule fallout: Blank answer sheets

Schools see students from Std I to VIII taking it easy as RTE Act guarantees their promotion to the next grade

LAWMAKERS who gave their assent to the Right to Education (RTE) Act probably never imagined there would be a flip side to the provision in it that disallows failing students from Std I to VIII.

Students are not making any efforts to be competitive in class after the RTE Act was passed

Secure in the knowledge that they will not have to repeat the year, students are leaving assignments alone, skipping oral exams and even filling up examination answer sheets with gibberish.

City school principals and teachers are a worried lot after having seen the way the rule to always promote a child till Std VIII can make dull students duller.

They say when a student who has not performed well up to Std VIII moves to a higher class like Std IX, he or she will not be able to understand much of what is being taught.

The decision to not fail a child till Std VIII was taken by the Centre to lower the pressure on students and make them see learning as an enjoyable activity. But, students are not taking any efforts to be competitive in class, say teachers and principals in most schools.

"We were shocked when we saw the answer sheets of students from Std I to Std VIII," said an official from the South Mumbai School.
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"Some mischievous students just copied the questions from the paper in their answer sheet and submitted it. Even parents are upset with the RTE. They claim their children are not studying nowadays,"

said Seher Pathan, counsellor at Holy Name High School, Colaba. "There are 32 students that I am counselling as they are having learning problems like dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia. They are not submitting their projects. If they will not perform now and show interest in studying, then they will find it difficult in the future.
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Parenting concepts also need to change now," said Pathan. Indra Menon, vice-principal of Children Academy School, Malad, said students are not even bothered about exams now.

"Students are now least bothered about appearing for the oral exams or submitting their assignments. We noticed that some students have even left their answer sheets blank," said Menon.

The Other Side
Abasaheb Jadhav, BMC Education Officer, said, "The method to be followed by schools is one of continuous comprehensive evaluation of the child. It will take time for teachers as well as students to adapt to it."