You wanted our opinion, here it is.
On opening twitter on the eve of the 22nd of May 2020, we saw our honourable education minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal, asking for our “valuable suggestions” on the upcoming board examination, 24 hours before making a decision on it.
12 Lakh students have to sit for these exams that determine their entire future and the decision lies in the hands of a select few.
1) Kushaan says, “it is really unfair to students who do not have the same level of privilege as most of us do”.
The whole idea of centralized examinations was to create a level playing field and cater to the academic needs of all students irrespective of their social and financial status. How can we expect these examinations to judge the potential and calibre of all students fairly when quality education is only available to those who can laptops and stable internet connections?
2) Kavyaa says “Is it too much to ask for?”
Starting right from the first news of delay that came in October 2020 to the sudden postponement of our board exams in April 2021, this year has been a rollercoaster for all students both physically and mentally, going through the same monotonous routine of online classes, doing the same syllabus over and over again for almost 1.5 years, only to be left hanging. Do we not deserve more clarity on something that supposedly makes or breaks OUR future?
3) “Should we be dealing with the loss of marks or with the loss of life?”
In the first ten days of May 2021 alone, 40,000 people lost their lives and the number keeps on increasing every single day. However, these were never just statistics, along with dealing with the loss of loved ones, a large number of students contracted the disease in the second wave of the pandemic and had to spend weeks fighting the virus. Post COVID symptoms last for as long as three months and to expect students to keep up to date with their syllabus during this time of crisis is absolutely inhumane.
4) The very students that are giving these examinations are either not old enough to get vaccinated or can no longer get so because major cities no longer have enough doses to vaccinate them.
Conclusion
After listening to the views of hundreds of students it is clear that hosting the board exams physically is no longer a desirable solution. The lives, safety and mental health of our youth should not be compromised over a marksheet.
When our country was struggling to find basic resources to fight the pandemic, it was we, the youth of our country who stepped up to help. It was evident during these times, that the youth does not want an easy escape from problems but simply the support and empathy of concerned authorities.
Is our country’s foundation so unstable that our entire education system will be on the brink of collapse if we choose to prioritize the health and safety of our students?
~ Suhani Daruka & Tia Garg
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