‘Those who skipped exam must study hard for next year’
The UP Board examinations, for a change, are in news for a different reason.
It’s only five days to examinations and already a record 10.47 lakh students have skipped the annual test because of massive crackdown on copying mafia, installation of CCTV cameras inside examination hall and the administration roping in the Special Task Force (STF) to nab defaulters.
Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, who also holds educational portfolio, looks pretty satisfied with the progress.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, he talks about the beginning of what he calls an overhauling of the system. Excerpts…
Why do you think a record number of students have dropped out of examination this time?
It’s a first step towards reforming the examination system. Students are not born copycats. It is the system that encourages them to copy freely during exams and pass with flying colours. With teachers not taking classes for months and the compulsory 180 days teaching never becoming a reality, our students had no other choice but to resort to malpractices like copying in connivance with teachers.
After BJP came to power, we tried to identify the flaws and ensured there should be regular classes. Leaves were curtailed and
220 days of teaching in schools was ensured. We brought down the number of examination centres from 11,000 to 8,500 for 66 lakh examinees who were registered for board examinations. .
What will happen to those 10.47 lakh students who have missed the examination because of strictness?
We really sympathise with those 11 lakh students. But having said that one must understand that for the interest of these 11 lakh students, we cannot sacrifice the interest of 55 lakh students who have studied throughout the year. These 55 lakh students are those who have acquired knowledge and will pursue higher studies. My advice to the remaining 11 lakh students is to study hard and come back prepared next year.
How do you plan to bring about a change in the education system in the state?
The UP Board is set to formulate a new syllabus for its schools. It will include course material from the NCERT books and the current state board curriculum. The new syllabus is being devised in competition with other boards, where students usually score very high. It will bring uniformity in books.