Restructuring of exams, new system of admission trigger chaos like situation

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Apr 27: Contrary to the tall claims of School Education Department of reforming system for overall benefit of the students, the recent decision of restructuring examinations and allowing provisional admission in class 11th to all students who appear in class 10th exams, has triggered  a chaos like situation, which may severely affect studies in the schools.
Besides suddenly increasing the number of fresh admissions more than 100 percent in class 11th, the allotment of streams to the newly admitted students without ascertaining their academic performance is turning into a major headache for the schools.
In absence of result, which is yet to be declared, the students and their parents are forcing the school authorities to accord them subject combinations and streams of their own choice thus creating a free for all situation, in which probable failures and below average students are trying to manage Medical and Non-Medical streams, sources told the Excelsior.
Pertinent to mention that the School Education Department had recently restructured the examination system to increase class work days and save academic year of students. As per the new system, students who appear in class 10th exams will be  provisionally admitted in class 11th after conclusion of Board exams. Students, who are declared unsuccessful in the results, will be permitted to continue their studies in class 11th till the results of the Bi-annual examination are declared. In respect of the candidates who fail to pass on Bi-annual examination, provisional admission will be cancelled.
The Annual examinations of class 10th in Winter Zone,  which are held in the month of October/ November will be followed by Bi-annual/private examination in the second fortnight of February of the next calendar year and the results thereof will be declared within a period of 30 days. Similarly, the Annual examinations of class 10th in summer zone,  which are held in the month of February /March,  will be followed by Bi-annual/private examination in the second fortnight of June of the same calendar year and the results thereof will be declared within a period of 30 days.
Main objective of the new system is  to increase class work days and save academic year of students. This mechanism is being implemented for the first time in Summer Zone schools on conclusion of the recently held 10th class Board examinations.
However, sources said, the apparent result of the new system is not encouraging but chaotic. Even after more than three weeks since the conclusion of class 10th examinations, overburdened admission process for the class 11th is still going on in a number of schools and the same is unlikely to conclude by the end of this month, which means loss of class work, explained a teacher on the condition of anonymity.
To ascertain academic potential of the students , the schools are conducting informal  group tests of the admission seekers and then according them streams on the basis of this assessment.  Since, the test is not formal, some admission seekers insist for particular streams and the schools find it difficult to turn down the demand, complained head of an institution.
Further, the system has  not only overstrained the admission process but  the classes of 11th standard are also all set to be overburdened  where the strength of students is  more than double  and this will adversely affect normal studies in view of space constraint thus  ultimately further degrading standard of education in the Government run schools in Jammu and Kashmir.
In nutshell, the implementation of a virtually same no detention scheme for the elementary, secondary and higher secondary  by treating  different standards at par with each other is taking the school education towards more deterioration contrary to claims of top authorities at the helm of affairs.
When contacted, Education Minister Altaf Bukhari said that he would personally look into the matter and convene a meeting in this regard for immediate remedial measures so that studies of the students may not suffer. “We are committed to improve the education standard in schools and all necessary measures for the same will be taken at priority level,” he added.

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