6th January 2009 - The Scindia School

Grading
Systems Blues
“Beta, come here”, I called my younger daughter from the kitchen early morning
one day. “I am reading the newspaper mom. Wait for a while,” was her response.
I was surprised to hear this from my daughter who is in class VI as she hardly
ever reads a newspaper, that too early in the morning. A few minutes later she
came and said in an excited tone “Wow! I will not have to give the Board exams.
“After a few days my elder daughter said,
“Mom, now a days I am very relaxed. I simply
enjoy the various projects which involve a lot
of drawing, creative writing and researching on
the net. There is no pressure of scoring marks
in exams.”
Both had given their opinion. But what about
me Why was I or, rather still am, so tense and
confused
Two daughters with two absolutely different
approaches towards their work will henceforth
be judged by a common grading system. Will it
be possible to judge them through the grading
system in a fair manner Will they learn
enough to be well placed and independent in
their future lives Will they be as stress free
in future as they are now Will they be able
to cope with future challenges or will they
succumb to pressures in life once they step out
of the sheltered atmosphere of the School
A million such thoughts cross my mind
whenever I watch them not doing anything, just
playing or fighting with each other and ‘wasting’
their time.
“Grading system does not mean that you
don’t have to work hard” my preaching falls on
deaf ears. It goes unheard in the excitement
of doing something or the other, apart from
studies. Whenever I ask them to go and sit
down to study, the standard response is,
“There is no homework. We have to get some
information from the net. Can we please surf
the net”
After giving them the permission I realize
that while one goes beyond the limits that
it becomes difficult for her to condense the
information in 20 slides the other spends just
about 20 minutes prepares 3-4 slides and
is happy. No matter what I say, she is quite
satisfied with her effort. I try to console myself
by thinking that once they get their first term
results based on the grading system they will
realize their mistake in assuming that they
can’t take academics so casually.
The CBSE believes that with the introduction
of the grading system Children will be freed
from the stress of exams, there will not be
any cut throat competition in classes and no
comparisons at homes.
Is it true
It is human tendency to compare. The
comparisons and parental pressure will still
be there. The only difference will be that now
instead of marks, parents will compare the
grades of siblings or peers. They will question
their children “How many A+’s have you got and
how many the other students in your class have
got” Now it will be a game of A’s and A+’s
I hope that after one year of the
implementation of the system I will be mature
enough to accept it in totality. Perhaps my
doubts and apprehensions will be put to
rest. Maybe the children too will understand
the rationale and motive behind the grading
system and continue to be serious about their
studies.
I also realize that I am not just a mother
but a teacher too and that too one with an
experience of twenty five years. I must look
at things from a wider perspective. When
educationists, philosophers, psychiatrists all
are talking about the benefits of this system for
the children, the situation can not be as grim
as I am imagining. Oh, yes, I must come out of
this state of despondency and have full faith in
the system.
Dr Geeta Shukla
17 Staff
VOL 6 | Jan 2010
ASTHACHAL : Vol 1 | October 2008