Since last several decades after independence, we find that the academic sessions in schools and colleges have the same type of academic schedules. The academic sessions start from June/July and end in April to May. After 12th standard, the students have to appear for various entrance exams and again the admissions are done in similar fashion. Anybody who misses these times, he has to re-try only the next year.
I ask; Why do we have to follow this strict time bound programme ? In school admissions, depending on the age of the students, the admissions are given. A child born just after the cut-off date has to wait for the next year for the admission. Why ? When the child birth does not follow any particular pattern, why should the admissions should have fixed dates ? I don't wish to say that round the year any child may be admitted..but, at least we can have a semester or trimester system in place, where a child need not wait for his admission to school for more than four to six months depending on the minimum qualifying age.
Similarly, I feel that all the universities / colleges should start academic sessions every six-monthly basis. There are various entrance exams for various different institutions ? Why ? We should have maximum two or three types of entrance exams one each for engineering/science, medical and humanities streams. These exams may be conducted on quarterly basis by standard specialist agencies, somewhat on the lines of the SAT and ACT re conducted in USA.
Due to this arrangement, the fear and stress levels among the students of X and XII standards will be reduced to a large extent. There shopuld not be any lower or upper age limits for these entrance exams. The students may be permitted multiple attempts to improve their scores and best of score could be used for admission purpose.
Similarly, the distance education system should be improved in quality so as to enable a large number of willing learners who cannot pursue regular schools/ colleges may be benefitted.
One important objective of school and college education must be to impart useful knowledge and not to merely get the degree certificates.
Pl. share your views and let's start building up this opinion, if you agree with me, so as to bring a sea change in the ways India imparts education to its children and youngsters.
