Booming private tuition culture : Not text book prescription
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 19, 2015 -

Not that kids have become more dumb. It is solely not about the cut throat competition.

It is also not only about over bearing expectations from parents and elders of the family. It is not about merit.

Disturbing to note the growing culture of private tuitions in Manipur and this is most evident when the young children are preparing to appear for their Class X and Class XII boards’ exams.

A reflection that nothing much is taught within the classrooms or students not imbibing what is taught in class ?

Tough to say but it is more than evident that there is a close connection between what is taught or learnt in the class rooms and the growing culture of private tuitions and there is nothing to rejoice over this.

Not suggesting that some sort of a tacit understanding has been worked out, but it would not harm anyone if some serious thought is given on why students increasingly feel the need to attend tuition classes.

The significant point is no students are spared and no educational institution is an exception.

Students from some of the most well known and reputed schools and educational institutions feel compelled to attend private tuitions or coaching classes.

All these come with a price, of course.

The price of education, if one may add. What is worrying however is the growing chasm between the poor and the comparatively better off parents.

This is exam time, with boards under the State Government already starting the Class X and Class XII exams and in a few days time, students studying in CBSE affiliated schools will be sitting for their exams.

Parents and guardians getting nervous at this point of time is understandable, but what beats rational thinking is the mad rush for more and more private tuitions.

It is not only students in Class X and Class XII who are after private tuitions but students in other classes and clearly the pressure on the parents and the young students can only be imagined.

It absolutely makes no sense to subject young students to so much pressure. Ditto too for the parents who have to eke out extra expenditure to keep their children ‘in the league.’

The denominator is of course marks and more marks, never mind if in the process the young students actually get nothing to learn anything worthwhile.

Something is wrong somewhere. This is where parents and guardians need to undergo a test to see how well they understand the meaning of education.

Yes marks are no doubt important, but there is definitely more to life than just the marks that one scores in the examinations.

A fact that needs to be drilled into the heads of all parents and guardians.

The best for the children may not necessarily mean more and more tuition classes.

Teachers and schools too need to come to terms with the reality that preparing young children for the future need not be calculated only through the marks that one scores in the examinations.

The Government too need to think out of the box and work out a system where marks alone will not be the final say.

The grading system that has been introduced in the Class X examination under the CBSE is a step that seeks to downplay marks, but something more needs to be done.

It is rather late, but The Sangai Express joins in wishing all the Class X and Class XII students the very best in their examinations.