Exams cancelled
The decision to cancel the Class XII Board examinations has come very late, and after causing much agony to students and parents (Page 1, “CBSE, CISCE scrap Class XII exams after review by PM”, June 2). The decision is incomplete without the involvement of all States. Keeping in mind the possibility of a third wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Government should draw up plans for the next course of action as far as the next academic session is concerned. Students and parents do not want more stress.
Navin Katyal,
New Delhi
The decision cannot be termed progressive and will have a cascading impact on the academic pursuits of students. Adoption of alternate methodologies now, based on previous academic performance and other parameters to declare examination results and the awarding of marks and grades, is neither wise nor ethical. Further, conducting examinations by changing the pattern of questions or through online mode by curtailing significant portions from the textbooks certainly loses its value and potential. Already, students have patiently waited thus far and once a conducive ambience emerges, the process of the written mode of examinations could be set in motion without delay.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
The annual ritual, when thousands of young hearts and minds are perforce required to surrender their unique, capable, curious, and wondrous learning capabilities to the senseless guillotine of the board examinations, has been ended this year, ironically, by the pandemic. We are all complicit in this degenerate annual ritual. For want of an imagination that celebrates human and humane learning, a convenient examination system, systematically enervates and obfuscates learners from exploring opportunities to engage with possibilities and growth. Offering countervailing perspectives — the pandemic now allows us to see what is taken for granted about gate-keeping practices and epistemology — invites bad actors to exploit often ignored vulnerabilities.
Anthony Joseph,
New Delhi
Population policy
Humans are sentient beings and cannot be considered as robots to have offspring according to the demands, needs of the state or the authorities. Under China’s new three-child norm, it is not clear how it benefits the minorities in that country as they have been treated differently. Worldwide, preferences have shifted toward having smaller families because of rising costs. Even in States of concern in north India, the trend is toward lower numbers. One way to encourage the right demographic balance is to provide a range of supportive policies on child care and measures to curb costs.
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
