More Centums Belie Critical Evaluation

COIMBATORE: The increasing number of centums in SSLC and HSC examinations results year by year is making many people, including educationists, sceptical about the evaluation process.

This year, there were 773 students who shared the first three State ranks for SSLC: 41 for the first rank, 192 for the second and 540 for the third.The number of centum scorers in Social Science, Science and Mathematics increased by 94, 66 and 45 percent respectively.

These numbers show that there is no real evaluation, says educationist R Manimohan. The School Education Department is trying to project an image of improvement and achievement through higher numbers year after year. The methods of evaluation do not encourage children to use their own words to answer question. They mug up textbooks and reproduce it, he added.

Apart from the numerous centums in Maths and Science, five students even managed to score centums in language papers. The system cannot become more absurd, says educationist Prince Gajendra Babu. Government schools are following in the steps of private schools by coaching with the minimum subject material over actual teaching.

“We are moving away from a process of ‘educating’ to one of ‘certifying’ and the department is acting as a mere observer, leaving the public at the mercy of private schools,” he added.

Though studies made by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan suggest that students’ reading skills are below par in Class 8, many are suddenly seen scoring centums in classes 10 and 12. The contradiction shows the School Education Department’s lack of proper assessment and follow-up action to improve students in weak areas, they say. Though the actual ‘educating’ is poor, the evaluation system has put students and parents are under tremendous pressure to ‘perform’. Often, parents feel ashamed to share their children’s marks with others if they are below what is considered par, said S Arumainathan, State president, TN Students’ Parents Welfare Association.

There is constant criticism by the Higher Education Department about school education: students are very weak in basics and fail to understand the concepts discussed in college. Prince attributes this to the skipping of classes 9-and-11 portions to concentrate on what is relevant for the Board exams. This extreme ‘exam-centredness’ will hinder students from gaining good understanding of the basics, without which expecting students to excel in higher studies is unfair and meaningless, he added.

Changes Essential in Exam, Evaluation System, Say Experts

Although the School Education Department knows that changes are essential in the examination system, including evaluation, it has not started thinking about alternatives, say those concerned about the matter.

It is disappointing that no effort is being made to change things, though it is clear that the system itself needs evaluation, said V Eshwaran, MDMK youth wing secretary.

Private schools’ criticism of the Samacheer syllabus for the runaway increase in centums is unacceptable, said Arumainathan of Students’ Parents Welfare Association.

The syllabus, he pointed out, has been designed in an age-appropriate manner. However, the State has failed to support it with the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) method adopted till Class 9.Effecting major changes would mean many practical problems. But the first step can be taken by replacing Board exams with evaluation of the student’s overall performance in classes 10, 11 and 12. This will ease the pressure on students while enabling them to learn more, he added.

Educationists also want media houses to cut out the hype surrounding ranks and high marks and reduce coverage of the ‘victors’.

The State Council Educational Research Institute, which should be taking up the issue seriously, has been operating without a research wing for years.

The authorities, who are content with running District Institutes of Education and Training and not moving ahead, are playing with the State’s future, says Prince Gajendra Babu.

Manimohan said the School Education Department tried to change the syllabus, but there was stiff opposition to Samacheer. The department should plan now to make the evaluation and exam process reflect what the students are taught and what they learn.

The system changes should be supported by appointing quality evaluators who can assess what the students actually know and not just what they have learnt by rote, he added.