grading system a magical, potion to de-stress the GenNext?

Is grading system a magical, potion to de-stress the GenNext?

Before we dwell on the subject, let me give a brief history of grading system, which was originally the brainchild of a lazy English tutor William Farish. William Farish was a tutor at Cambridge University in England in 1792 who came up with this method of teaching to allow him to process students—mind you I use the word process—in a shorter period of time. He invented grades. This was because getting to know his students was too much trouble for him. It meant work, interacting and participating with each child. It meant paying attention to their needs, to their style of learning. It meant there was a limit on the number of students he could thus get to know and therefore a limit on how much money he could earn.
So he came up with this grading system. As though students were products of a factory or fruits which could be segregated and graded.
Based on well-established time-tested facts and vast storehouse of information on this 200-year-old system of evaluating a student’s performance I can just make the following observations. The grading system is neither a potion nor a lotion, but a concoction of all sorts of confusions to be implemented by a few educationists in our country in the name of an evaluating procedure of the education system.
Against this backdrop, I firmly believe that there can be no magical potion in this extremely competitive world to de-stress the GenNext except sheer hardwork. I repeat sheer hardwork is the only magical potion to de-stress the GenNext and as for the grading system, it is just a method to hide the flaws in the present education system.
Grading system doesn’t recognize the merit of a hardworking, sincere, devoted , study-conscious, diligent student and equates him with a student who is much below his caliber. Due to inherent lacunae in the education system, this unwise system of awarding grades on the performance of a student is only objective and doesn’t recognize the subjective performance in the examination.
In fact this highly confused system has done tremendous harm to the core of competition and achieving excellence. My worthy opponents would blame the marks based evaluating system for the increasing number of suicides among students. But, this is not true. If the NCRB figures on teenage suicides are to be believed less than half the suicide cases are due to exam. Related stress-43% to be precise. Rest 57% is due to other reasons like warring parents, sibling rivalry, death of a loved one, distressed parents. The answer to the problem of suicides lies not in the changeover to grade system but in proper psychological treatment so that doesn’t have difficulty in coping with life’s disappointments. Grading system is nothing but a sugarcoated pill, which is killing the excellence in performance and spirit of competition. If grading system is the magic wand of educational ills then why don’t we implement it in various entrance examinations?
Here, I wish to point out the salient inherent defects of grading system, which have been noticed in a very recent survey. Firstly, the grading system does not make students smarter in fact it has the opposite effect. Secondly, grades do not give students deeper insight into topic of study, instead it forces students to memorize by rote only those details that are required to pass the test. Thirdly, grading system does not encourage critical analytical thinking. Lastly, it dos not stimulate the students to discuss the detailed contents of the subject with fellow students.
And my dear opponents for your kind information I would like to tell you that in a huge country like India grading system will not work. We have so many boards in various states and also at the central level. So friends how do you plan to normalize the scoring? The competition level in our country is so high that even 0.1 marks make a huge difference. If for an entrance exam there are only 50 seats but 100 students with a grade, who all are you gong to select? Do you have any option but to resort to marking system?
I would like to emphasize that grading system will kill the competitiveness among the students instead of de -stressing them. Competition should be taken in a positive way and for survival one has to be ever competitive as it is said ‘survival of the fittest.’
In the end I would like to pose a question to our honorable judges. Sir and madam I would like to ask you that in today’s debate are you going to rank the participants on the basis of marks or grades ?

THE TERROR STRIKES

26 November 2008, a day which should be remembered by all the Indians. On this day there was firing at several busy places. Terrorists attacked CST, [Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus] Nariman House, Colaba, Santa Cruz Airport, 3 hospitals, Oberoi Trident and the heritage building of Taj Hotel. Terrorists used heavy-duty guns, AK-47’S and grenades. It was reported that 75 people had died and 250 injured. In the next two days more had died. Chairman of Yes Bank and ATS chief Hemant Karkare died in the operation. NSG commandos were called from Delhi. Terrorists had come through the sea. A terrorist called Ajmal Amir Kasab was caught alive. They had killed the pilot of the trawler with his neck slit. Four fishermen were also killed. Only Kasab was caught alive but others had been killed. Kasab says he wants to write a letter to his mother and wants to go to his home in Pakistan. He would tell his mother that LEt had convinced him to cause terror in Bombay. Rakesh Maria is investigating whether the weapons from Pakistan. So let’s join hands to fight against terrorism.

DIWALI

Diwali is a festival of joy. Children enjoy bursting crackers. People exchange gifts and sweets and worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on this occasion. It is celebrated on Amavasya of Kartik month according to the Hindu calendar. It is a festival celebrating victory of good over evil. On this day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in the forest and defeating Ravana. To celebrate his return, the people of Ayodhya lit diyas in their homes that brightened the city. Even today we celebrate this festival in the same spirit. The word ‘Diwali’s full form is ‘Deepawali’. ‘Deep’ means diya and ‘awali’ means row. And the whole word joins to make ‘Festival of diyas’. Some people do gambling and take liquor. Diwali is a pious festival and these things should be avoided. We should celebrate the festival in a good spirit.

FOOD

Food is the most important thing in the whole world. The word ‘food’ means ‘the thing which is eaten or taken into the body, for nourishment. It gives us energy. We should never waste our food. Because when we have something we do not know its importance but when we lose something we come to know its importance. You must have seen poor children in a party or marriage. Did you ever think what did they do there? It is for sure that they are not the host’s guests. And if they were they would not have come in tattered clothes. Well, if you do not know I will tell you. When we leave our food without finishing it, the children eat it. We even do not touch the food which is eaten by someone and if it is not of our choice we get angry. But poor children do not see that the food is leftover or not they just gobble it up. You are very lucky that you have got a home to live in and have food to eat. There are many people who do not have these things, they even do not get square of meal a day. Whereas they are better to the environment than we are. And if you see some food untouched {of course not leftover} So if you waste your food then stop it save the food and try to lead a better life.

KHUFIA BANGLA

There were once some people who shifted from one office to another. They had shifted to a bungalow. Every one called it ‘Khufia Bangla’. To prove it I will tell you the happenings. One day the guard switched the button to go in the lift. The door opened but the lift did not come and the guard fell down, and died. A man saw him and started shouting with fear. He saw a lady passing from there. He ran behind her and told her what had happened. The lady went to her work. After this incident no one was allowed to use the lift. A couple of days later, a lady felt that someone was following her. She turned back. She saw a shadow. The shadow came near her and killed her. Then ate her flesh. Everyone was upset about these murders. Slowly another lady saw it but ran away and was saved. But the shadow was still following her. She went to sleep; the shadow came there also and warned her "If you tell anyone I will not let you live I will kill you". She got up to talk to her husband but much to her surprise he was smiling with red bloody eyes. She shouted and locked herself in the bathroom; there she saw anacondas crawling all around. She tried to open the door but it would not budge. Suddenly…she woke up and realized that it was only a dream.

MY DEBATE AT DPS, DELHI ON September 30, 2008

Extended family is an asset to Indian society.
A very good morning to one and all. This is Shreya Gupta of Class-4 standing before you to humbly oppose the motion of today’s debate. i.e: The extended family is an asset to Indian society.

Well, before we dwell on the subject, let me quote the Webster dictionary, which defines family as "the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children". So where is the place for the others?

Let me also explain the extended family with an example. Shreya! Turn down the TV, Akshat has to study. Rashika! When will you come out of the bathroom, Priya has to take bath. Nonu! Don’t enter my room with shoes. O! My God! These unending instructions are enough to make anyone go mad, aren’t they? My opponents say that life in an extended family is interconnected with other family members. But at what price? When they get up, you get up. When they sleep, you sleep too.

The world we live in and the lives we lead have changed our necessities, priorities and assets. India being the cradle of ancient civilization had firmly believed in the extended family. But not now. I repeat, not now. Today’s generation has taken the initiative to start a nuclear family.

Today we cannot hide from the fact that parents and grown up children do not get along well and adult children want to make a house of their own as soon as they can afford to do so. And rightly so, because as they say absence makes the heart grows fonder.

Let me now enumerate some more advantages of a nuclear family. The major gain is the opportunity it gives to provide an identity of one’s own something we all crave for!

Moreover parents in a nuclear family can afford to spend enough time and money on the requirements of their children.

Also, in an extended family it is very difficult for a working woman to look after her own family and also that of her husband – where will she find time for herself?

In a nuclear family, we can be away from comparisons, emotional hurts, gossips, ego clashes, compromises and work priorities.

In this world of globalization nuclear family provides mobility and more financial freedom.

So in the end, I would like to sum up by saying that – extended family requires so much adjustment, patience and tolerance that it is not possible to enjoy living in it except when there is no option.

MY PET CAT

I have a cat
Which wears a hat

Her name is Pony
And she is bony

She has whiskers
And break pitchers

She is fluffy
And called sometimes Tuffy

She pierce things
And becomes fierce

She sits on a pitch
And falls in a ditch

She likes to break a nest
But she is the best

MY PET DOG

I have a dog

Who has a tiny dot

Its name is Scottie
It is naughty

It likes to sit on a couch
In his paw he keeps pouch

It plays with a bag
Which has a tag

Everybody loves him, big or small,
He’s my dog, after all

MID NIGHT STORIES (1)

A Scary Night
Once upon a time a girl named Geeta was alone in the house. Her parents had gone to attend a party. She was watching a scary program. Suddenly the lights went off. She thought that it is no use waiting for the lights to come. Somehow she reached her room. She lay on her bed.

She did not have to make the bed as her mother had already done it for her. She wrapped herself as there was a chill wind blowing outside. As she was going to close her eyes she saw a shelf containing skeletons that were talking continuously. Anacondas were crawling on the shelf. The most scary part was that a doll that had cold bloody eyes.

It said "Tera hi intazaar kar rahi thi ab tu maregi". Ha! Ha! Ha! She clutched Geeta in her hand and Geeta was gasping for breath.

When suddenly her mother woke her up. She was sweating badly. Her mother consoled her. After that she never tried to see scary programs.

MORAL : DO NOT SEE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT FOR YOU. DO NOT POKE YOUR NOSE IN EVERYTHING.
HA! HA! HA!

MOTHER

We should have respect for our mothers. They love us a lot. Even if we are aggressive she never strikes back. ‘Mother is the greatest gift of god’ it is said and it’s true. Think how the world would be without mothers. She has a heart made of gold. She can never think of hurting her children. We should always love our mothers because when we have something we do not know its importance but when we lose something we come to know its importance. So if you do not love your mothers, start loving them.

Celebration of my last birthday (2008).

I am lucky because my birthday comes in May and I can enjoy the whole day. I got up and when I was brushing my teeth I saw that my sister was preparing a gift in the clinic on a chair and a bouquet too. After that, she gave me a tea – set and a top from my mother .She made it on her own. In evening, my friends came as per the schedule. My father got chocolate truffle cake and then I played tambola with all my friends and there were prizes too. We ate toffees while playing and I bought wafers too. My house was decorated nicely by my sister .She entertained everybody. She is the only one who helped me to, make my birthday more successful. This is how I celebrated my last birthday.

My Best Friend

My best friend’s name is Geetanjali. She wears spectacles. She is cute, sweet, careful, loving and nice. She is 10 years old. She studies in N.K.Bagrodia Public school. She is in class 5. Her favorite cartoon character is ‘Mickey mouse’. She likes to wear long skirt. Her nickname is ‘Parrot’. She likes to eat rajma and rice. Her favorite movie is ‘chak de India’. She sings well. She writes beautifully. Her favorite fruit is banana. She draws well. She likes to play Casio. She likes to go on picnics. She likes to play badminton. Her favorite color is pink. She is intelligent. Everybody says Geetanjali is Shreya’s best friend. She is my best friend of the universe. I like her very much and she also likes me I think.

My Sister

My sister’s name is Srishti. She is in class tenth. We study in the same school. Her best friend’s name is Sneha. She always gets prizes in debates. She acts in front of the mirror when she gets time. She acts perfectly. She has pimples on her face. She had a boy cut earlier. She doesn’t like to eat pumpkin. She likes to eat cabbage and cauliflower. She doesn’t like to wear sweaters. Her favorite color is pink. Her favorite fruit is mango. Her favorite actress’s name is Rani Mukharji. She is fan of Daniel Radcliffe. Her favorite movie is Dhoom. I am proud of my sister. She is the best sister of the world. I love her very much.