NEET could prove to be govt's most troublesome test

NEET could prove to be govt's most troublesome test

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

13.08.2021

In its first 100 days, the DMK government took two major decisions in education. One was to conduct reexam for more than 4.25 lakh engineering students who appeared for a proctored online test in February. Second, when a majority of parents and teachers wanted the Class XII state board exams to be held, CM Stalin decided to cancel them based on views of medical experts.

Academics called the first move regressive. Anna University was the only state university in the country to come up with proctored online tests to conduct a semblance of an exam during the pandemic. Instead of helping other state universities develop such online assessment tools and improve assessment standard, the state brought down the standard of Anna University exams to the level of other universities.

The second decision had to be taken in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government had to come up with a weightage system keeping in mind the interests of rural and urban students and gave 50% weightage to Class X board exam marks. It affected the top scoring students as there was little difference between them and others. A majority of students and parents, however, were happy in the end.

There are many positives in the approach of the new government. It appointed a committee headed by Justice A K Rajan to study the impact of NEET in medical admissions and another headed by Justice D Murugesan to study the representation of government school students in professional courses.

Now, with schools and colleges set to reopen physical classes, more challenges await the government. They include bringing back dropouts, preventing child marriages and retaining students in government schools. More than 2 lakh children moved to government and aided schools from private schools. Government colleges and state universities are crippled with faculty shortages and financial crises. At least three state universities are on the verge of collapse. Education will be one of the key parameters in which the success or failure of the DMK government will be rated.