Expunging the word FAIL from academics Sumit Paul

"E xaminations are formidable even to the best prepared, for, the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest men can answer." - Charles Caleb Colton

Though stated in a rather humorous vein, C C Colton's aforementioned maxim exposes the hidden dreadfulness of examinations and the binary of passing and FAILING coming out of these veritable ordeals (examinations). A philosopher famously opined that man is forever on test. Paraphrase to pare it down to 'Youngsters (in India) are forever on exams.'

And in view of this examination-phobia and unnecessary social stigma of failing exams, HSC Board of Maharashtra has prudently decided that henceforth, no student will be marked 'Fail' in the marksheet. This decision ought to have been taken long ago. But as we say in Persian, 'Der aayad, durust aayad ' (It's better late than never). Now is the time for other state Education Boards to emulate Maharashtra's example to give respite to the stressed out students, fearing for the exams and their results as if their whole life hinges on them (exams).

It's a pity that we've still been following Lord Macaulay's outdated education system that's based upon the plain dichotomy of Pass and Fail. Before delving into the otiose purpose of assessing a student's calibre through exams, it's imperative to bear in mind that there are other ways as well to evaluate a student without putting him/her through the rigmarole of routine exams. But have we resorted to them? Have we ever thought of making inroads into the existing system and revamping it?

The grading system and year-wise/overall performance module in addition to the conventional pass/fail examinations have been simultaneously running at schools, colleges and varsities across the world. Yours truly studied in Iran and in spite of taking conventional exams at all levels in schools and colleges, he was also judged through additional ways of evaluation. This lessens the fear of exams because the student knows at the back of his/her mind that even if he or she fails to perform well in orthodox system of exams, there are other means and measures to fall back upon. This drives away the fear of failure. In other words, additional and alternative ways of assessment are in almost all countries, but India is reluctant to implement them.

Even the best of schools in India still don't implement Paper Presentation Grading (PPG). Let alone schools, even the so-called finest colleges in India don't dare to introduce PPG that actually makes the very examination system redundant. And when you've only one way to evaluate a student, how can you mitigate the fear of flunking in exams?

And are those who fail in exams doomed for life? Prashant Mahalnbis, the founder of Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta (sorry, no Kolkata for me) once told his friend and the then PM of India Jawaharlal Nehru that this extremely limited option of either this or that produced, nay churned out ‘Passed’ or ‘Failed’ categories of perceived successful and unsuccessful individuals. Nehru, being quite modern in his outlook, subscribed to his brilliant friend's viewpoint in the realm of dynamic education, but failed to implement it.

Now comes the perceived stigma of failing in an exam as if it's the alpha and omega of life or be all and end all of everything. For a youngster, it's all the more nightmarish. The innumerable cases of young students committing suicide because of flunking in some mindless exams are rampant.

Sociologists, academicians, psychologists and counselors are of the opinion that the very word fail in the context of academics has a negative and often a lasting impact on the psyche of young students and seldom, if ever, do they tide over this trauma. The word breaks them and shatters their aspirations. It's a psychological trauma that worms into their consciousness and jolts their psyche like a soda-water bottle.

Failure is not final is a dictum understood by mature people, but to fail in an exam is a crashing and crushing experience for a young student taking the exams of class X or XII.

Why stigmatise them for the rest of their lives when options of re-examination, grace marks and plain promotion are available?

Agreed, unevaluated or unassessed promotion of unsuccessful students may compromise on academic skills and standards and will also be unfair to those who've got high grades and figured on merit lists, but you can't pooh pooh the unsuccessful students either. Even if we use a euphemism like 'eligible for re-examination,' it's far better and gentler than the horrendous word ‘Failed’, because failure in exams is often seen as a failure in life in this country which has certain perceptional idiosyncrasies and prejudicial parameters of judging a person, especially on his or her academic qualifications and credentials.

One more thing that has been noticed over the years is that the mention of the word in marksheets fills the students with an unmitigated sense of inferiority complex. The double whammy of a lifelong stigma and inferiority complex wrecks havoc in their lives and such students keep sliding down on the scale of academic and career achievements in the bivouac of life. In other words, the early appearance of the word in the marksheet paves the way for further failures in life. This is a spiraling down process or the beginning of an end as well as a cruel blow to a young and impressionable mind.

Remember, words can soothe and scarify in an equal measure. The Sanskrit aphorism Satyam Bruyat Priyam Bruyat, Na Bruyat Satyam Priyam (Speak the truth but in a manner that it shouldn't sound unpalatable) sums it up succinctly. And fail is a frail word that can't withstand the jeers and jibes of our insensitive world.

Replacing FAIL with Maharashtra Board's expression of Eligible for Re-Examination is not only laudable, it's the worthiest and most dignified replacement of the loathsome word. It'll help us become sensitive to the fate of such students. Hope the same model and module will be implemented and promulgated all over the country erelong.

Lastly, the whole shebang of conducting exams in India urgently needs a rejig.