It will have practical implications

Updated on: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Dr. K.N. Panikkar, Vice Chairman of the State Higher Education Council, told The Hindu-EducationPlus that the proposal to scrap Class X exams holds considerable merit but warned that it will have serious practical implications.

Do you think that the Union Human Resources Development Ministry’s proposal to scrap the 10th class public examination is practical?

For a long time the 10th class public examination that gave the students their school-leaving certificate has remained an important stage of education. Many did not go beyond that and it was accepted as a basic qualification for several jobs. But over the years the situation has considerably changed.

The ‘schooling’ now does not end with the 10th class, but goes on till the 12th class. An important question to be considered nationally is the minimum level of schooling necessary, which should eventually be made compulsory.

My opinion is that it should be 12th class. If this principle is accepted then school education should be considered as one single continuous unit with a public examination at the end of the programme. The present system of ‘failing’ the students should be done away with.

They should complete the courses every year and on the basis of that proceed towards the final examination. The grades awarded to the students on the basis of their performance in the class should be the indicator of their ability.

This presupposes a rigorous system of evaluation and pedagogic practices which would admit of transparent continuous evaluation. In this context the abolition of 10th class public examination could be seriously considered. As an idea it has considerable merit. But the existing system is so diverse that such steps will have very serious practical implications. The SSLC exam still fulfils multiple purposes. It is considered a benchmark for choosing the career of students. The academic streams they opt for largely depend upon their performance in the 10th class. Therefore extended discussion across the country is essential before a decision is taken.
What is your take on having a single school board for the entire nation?

The idea of a common board to conduct the final school examination is very undesirable in a country like India.

Although we already have the CBSE and the ISCE systems, an all encompassing body which will bring all the States under its purview goes against the political and cultural logic of the ‘idea of India’. India survives as a nation because of its diversity, and attempts to impose uniformity and homogeneity would seriously undermine its character.What is urgently required is not administrative reorganisation but basic changes in the content of education and to ensure that the textbooks impart healthy values like secularism, human rights and social justice.

It will have practical implications

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