Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced?

Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced?

Introduction:

Five years back, the Congress led government brought a noteworthy change in the prevalent education system by scrapping board examination for primary and middle class students. They also replaced the marking system with grading and ordered that no children can be failed or denied promotion to the next class till class 8.

The new government under Modi has received requests for reviewing this system and HRD Ministry has been asked to bring back the old system where passing board exams in class 5 and 8 was mandatory for students to move forth to the next class.

Punjab government has requested Centre to allow the re-introduction of the board examination as it prevailed before five years. It is more likely that the board exams for primary and middle class students will be brought back, with effect from the next session. This system was done away for a reason and there is no lack of parents and prominent educationalists fighting in support of the existing system.

For:

1. Constant evaluation: With the changes in the education system to grades instead of marks and no failing of students till class 8 evaluation of the student becomes very difficult. Even if the student is weak and lagging behind, the teacher doesn’t get to evaluate the efforts and performance of student because that would then be called judging or trying to lower their self-esteem. Boards in 5th and 8th standard would allow evaluation and aptitude of student so that parents get to know the strength and weakness of their ward based on their performance in different subjects.

2. Improves stamina: Facing boards is as dreadful and as improvising as it could get. Students work harder when there is an upcoming board exam which they will have to face and their further promotion will depend on that. Hard work and dedication in youngsters is known to increase stamina. They will be more competitive and increase their learning skills to be able to do better than the other students which is healthy competition and much needed at regular intervals.

3. Motivational: Exams are seen as stressful and burdensome but we must also not ignore the fact that exams are motivational for students. They are usually motivated to study harder when there is a test coming up that would determine their promotion to the higher class. Parents would also pay more heed towards the academic performance of their ward and motivate them to be better prepared.

4. Future plans: Testing the aptitude of students is very important in helping them recognize their interest, potential and special talent. A child may be exceptionally good in geography or physics but that cannot be known unless they are tested. The grading system doesn’t provide exact marks of each students which is why parents and student do not seem to know where does the exceptional skill of a child lie.

5. Practice: Before facing the main boards of 10th and 12th standard, primary and middle class board examinations would provide a good practice of facing board exams for students. The anticipation of new pattern and markings create more stress in students than any other aspect of exams. Board exams in class 5 and 8 would lessen the fear and students will be better prepared to face exams.

6. Lessening of burden: All the changes in the examination system was done in order to lessen the burden on students but that doesn’t seem to be completely true. More number of students have started taking semester exams less seriously and hence they are faced with the dread of boards in class 10 or 8 when failing and passing starts to matter. Most youngsters are known to study hard only during exams which seems to have lost its cause after the changes made 5 years back.

Against:

1. Let children be their age: Dread of facing exams and that too board exams is too big to be burdened on minor children with innocent minds wherein no rivalry or race dwells. The age of innocence is trampled against the burden and stress of passing exams with distinction in order to stay high amid friends and family. The unnecessary stress is all about preventing them from having a free and happy childhood.

2. Constant judging: Children should not be judged based on their performance in exams. Not every child can be a mathematics genius. The stereotype of students being good in academics based on their sole performance in a few subjects in exams has to be removed. They can be a future artist or a sportsperson or an air force personnel. This constant judging and evaluating is bad for their self-confidence.

3. Fear of failure: Exams bring in fear – fear of being judged, fear of being criticized, fear of being the last of the lot, the fear of failure. Fear keeps us back. Whoever said that fear and pressure is necessary for good performance is talking about adults and not children. We do not want to pressurize our children to stand at the top. We want to inspire them to be want they want to be – anything that captures their imaginative little mind.

4. Lowering of self-esteem: Red lines in report card, poor marks in some subjects, an average performance is not something that should bother a 5th standard student too much but the exact opposite happens when they are criticized by everyone. Lowered self-esteem is further detrimental for their performance. They lose confidence in their abilities to do well in life. In school among friends, they are bullied and called dumb which is very harmful for the innocent minds of children.

Conclusion:

The grading system and no board exams till 10th is good for the overall development of students. But the problem arising is also no less crucial. By the time a student reaches class 8, they are clueless about their aptitude. Some who are promoted without good marks have to face the final dread when the report card of promotion comes to effect.

The education ministry must take a step to overcome this problem by bringing in more unit tests but re-introducing board exams in class 5 and 8 seems to be an extreme measure that is good for students. More board exams would only mean more stress to students at a tender age.

Class 10 and 12 is the right time when boards should be meted out to youngsters. Anywhere before that is too early an evaluation of aptitude.
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    Discussion

  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -Suhana (09/14/19)
  • I am student...and I really say that exam is not a motivation to students.
    And that too inTN A student of class 9 is not even thought his 9th book but starts learning class 10 books......even they don't understand what they learn but only byheart the whole book.......I feel that when s child reaches his 9th STD he stops learning or forget to grow his external talents and goes to concentrate on his exams......so if board exams are conducted for class 5,8 then the child will start his coaching from class 1 itself , for the Tamil Nadu board I am sure to say that they don't allow the child to think but give a perfect idea on how to byheart the lessons.......so now from class 1itself a child starts to byheart and until the end of the life he learns to byheart and get success in life and badly fails in the. Exam of life......

    To develop a country not only the students should work but also the government......if that is so then it's sure that all our central,state,local and cabinet ministers must write an exam like NEET,JEE or others so by their score we could estimate the right person to rule the country..
    What do you say guys?
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -board exams - group discussion (06/22/18)
  • Exam induces massive stress forcing our kids to undergo grueling time in their early age is not a cognitive move. Instead, we should work to ease them up from huge syllabus to provide them extra bit of time learning many other aspects of life. In the wake of new challenges that are emerging, old ways should be replaced with latest ideas. Keeping them engulfed in the textbook will restrict them learning many valuable and relevant aspects of new age. Let's breathe with time and allow our kids to learn many new techniques apart from studies.
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -Mili jassal (07/16/17)
  • For class 5 students are too small to understand the board exam,I request to all education minister it is so much pressure on little children...they are children not adult to know ..what is board exam....
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -Shivi (07/04/17)
  • Are u mad?? We aldready hv so much of pressure on our shoulders and in my case we hv exams every month. Our parents judge us by our marks.Believe me u do not know. Our future is all set up for us by parents and now we are trying to at least hv a normal happy childhood..
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -Diwakar Shashi (03/01/16)
  • Yes.
    As current generation child only take the seriuosness of exam only in 10 among class 1 to 10.
    Now a days children are very active but if they go for board exams in class 5 and 8 along with 10. They will get two more chance to know onself... ... ...
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -Nikha Sharma (02/18/16)
  • Yes, Definately board exam clearing should be mandatory in class 5th and 8th to proceed further in schooling because with our current education system people easily reach to class 10 level without putting much effort on improving quality. When they reach HSC and SSC, they find it difficult to cope up with the competition and hence feel permanent fail in their career.
    On the contrary if we put these challanges to students on their earlier stage of schooling then they will be practicing and finding it more easy to maintain disciplin needed ahead to achieve success in life.
    Having a standardised and structured curriculum and procedure in schooling will enhance their adaptability and developing skills and eventually they will get to know more and more about their talent in less time. And also if some one faces difficulty to clear these exams. He or She can do hardwork for same in earlier stage of life. This will be good practice because there is a famous saying as "Better is to do it today than postponing it tomorrow".
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -komal (02/12/16)
  • yes, board exam should be reintroduce in 5and 8 class. it will prepare them for major 10th board and strengthen their mind nd stamina for future competition. and ds will not take away dr innocence but prepare their mind to perform batter. and students of gov schools will also be pressurized to study.
  • RE: Should board exams in class 5 and 8 be re-introduced? -sanjay singh (02/12/16)
  • To improve the condition of government schools, i think board exams in 5 and 8 should be re-introduced because in private schools teachers gives the knowledge what students need in that age or class,but in gov. schools students comes only to eat 'mid day meal' , if board is introduced then they can aware of what they have to need to make future.