Sunday, December 28, 2008

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.

Monday, December 8, 2008

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.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

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.