As a student who joined in an Anna University based affiliated college, The very idea of innovation is curbed under the institution., in terms of writing an exam paper . Let me share my experience
- Usually when I come out of the Chemistry exam in school, I might end up feeling disappointed because I might not have performed to my expectations, but not about the paper structure , that is how the questions are set
Until today
The Anna University, kudos to it, wanting to set up a paper, finally ends up testing whether we write for 30+ pages or with color coded pens. Rather than focussing on the application based questions that makes a student think, it finally ends up testing wh…ether we can be perfect human photocopiers or not. I usually don’t crib for these types of question papers, but then being in the grind for so many years, and that too in CBSE, something snapped inside me. The education system , seriously needs a HUGE CHANGE, irrespective of the boards . We Indians might be known for our theoretical base, when we usually go abroad, but writing endlessly about “notes on Lithium battery, Short notes on Corrosion” isn’t just going to help us become engineers. Also, awarding less marks to the students who write in a different style, than what’s given in the answer key totally destroys, their ability to look at a problem or a situation from their angle. In order to gain marks (can’t fault that), students thus end up mugging up en masse, obliterating any signs of creativity
Engineers are supposed to be passionate about building things, things that test their mental capabilities, and finding new innovations. If we encourage the concept of rote learning, and if writing endlessly filling pages with rote memory is considered to be the hallmark of a “Good written” paper, no wonder most of the Indian engineers are considered to be “unemployable” - College, is not school again. Whether write as per the answer key or not is not going to help us in the long run. A practical emphasis is what is needed . If we are unable to compete with the other premier institutes, how are the engineers expected to make a mark, in any field regarding science and technology?
The point 1 is when I had earlier written it as a Facebook post.