One of the leading newspaper of the country has published an article, where it is said that over 2/3 of the Delhi University students surveyed have said that they are not in a state of mind to prepare for exams. As per the article referred above, "The analysis was an attempt by the students to highlight the mental and emotional stress experienced by them to make out a case for not holding the final-year exams." Further it says that "Among those students who participated in the survey, 27.2% had tested positive for Covid-19 and almost 54% of their immediate family members had been infected by the virus."
These results reminded me of the time when we were in school at junior level and used to make excuses to our parents that today its raining heavily so we won't go to school or that today we have stomach ache and can't go to school. But I also remember that whether it was rain or flood (not literally flood), whether we had pain in stomach or a fever, we used to go to schools because we knew that if we don't go, we won't get another chance and our one year may be wasted. Of course the rain and stomach ache cannot be compared with the physical & mental pain that one had to suffer because of this COVID, but have we not developed our pain bearing capacity with time. If a school student in junior level knows that exams are important and they must take the exams unless very very serious problem is there, then the students in the final year of any graduate college are expected to be much more mature than those kids and should understand the importance of exams. Shall they not?
Now, exams is not a big issue, as we have read time and again that these 2-3 hour of exams cannot judge the capability of a person. But what alternative is proposed for the students of final year to judge their comparative capabilities with other fellow students. When thousands of students will apply for higher education in one of the top colleges of India or when they will apply for a job in a company where hundreds of students from same batch will be there, how will the other person evaluate their capabilities and competitiveness over the others. Till some alternative mode is put into place, these exams and their scores are the documented way to evaluate two or more candidates for the same post. So, if the exams are cancelled what will happen?
- Either they will be given final score sheet on the basis of their internal marks or evaluation. So, the students who have worked hard for the finals but somehow missed during the earlier internal exams will have to suffer because such an evaluation was not pre-determined. Will they be in the right mental health for the cancellation of the exams? Won't we be missing a few finishers like Dhoni who were prepared mentally to finish the innings in style (meaning the students who have prepared with an aim to score better marks in the finals).
- Other way around can be to postpone the exams even further but the question is till when can we postpone the exams. Already there are rumors about 3rd wave of COVID and that it may hurt the children more than the adults. Those who are not in the right state of mind now, will they be in the right state of mind then? And by the time COVID becomes a past, another batch of students will be available for final exams next year (assuming that COVID will be considerably low by then) So, while there will still be almost the same no. of job openings or seats for higher education, but the competing candidates will be almost double by then (two batches passing in same year due to postponement of exams by almost one year)
So, those who are advocating for the cancellation of final exams especially for students of final year and for students of class 12th which are the critical points from where students have to move in an entire new territory, they must suggest some practical means of evaluation of students to award them the marks for their future references as explained above. Otherwise these momentary victories (which may or may not be politically motivated) may make the students pay a huge price for it.
Now, why have I referred to the title as "Donkey Manufacturing Factory"
(views below may feel offensive but are my personal views and not intended to hurt any individual or any group of individuals)
Because the students of final year who think that they are not in a proper state of mind to prepare for exams under present scenario are nothing but a burden of the educational system of India. Only 27.2% of the students surveyed here were found to have got infected with COVID while more than 66% of them have stated that they are not in the right mind. I feel that we shall first test whether they do even have a mind or not. Or they just blindly follow the hash-tag trends on the social media and like to follow the crowd rather than using their own mind. Such trend followers are a kind of "donkeys" who simply do what they are told to do without applying their mind that they are talking about. They can only be donkeys and not the leaders.
These are the students who were expected to take the final exams and join the corporate world where one mistake and someone else will not hesitate to pull your leg and probably get you thrown out of the job. Are these students who have given such a statements out of the fear of exams, really competitive enough to join their prospective employers and lead their companies in future. What do such students know of the right state of mind. They shall ask their parents or relatives who have been kicked out of their jobs or have faced huge salary cuts due to COVID and still have almost the same expenses of their family to bear and ask them if they are in the right state of mind to deposit their fees if they want to go for higher education or will they let their children's dream shattered because they cannot afford it now.
When we enter the corporate world, we are expected to have taken (at least a part of the responsibilities) from our elders on to our shoulders. Will we be able to tell our elders or our family (if married) that due to COVID, I am not in a state of mind to work properly. So, I am taking unpaid leave from the job or resigning from the job. Or if we have our own business, can we say to our customers that we are not in a right state of mind due to COVID (or any other disease) so you may cancel your order.
We may have treated the character of "Dr. Viru Sahastrabuddhe (VIRUS)" played by Boman Irani in the movie 3 idiots as a negative character but a few words which he said were true though shown in a negative sense. When the student "Joy Lobo" asked for time extension for his project and said that I was not able to concentrate on the studies due to father's illness, Dr. Viru (VIRUS) had said a few beautiful words that - have you left eating or taking bath etc. Then why have you left the studies. It may sound harsh when shown over there but is very practically true in nature. Just because you or me had got illness (after all COVID is a kind of illness only, right) doesn't mean that we have got an excuse from doing any work or studies. Yes, during the illness of 10-15 days or may be upto 30 days due to weakness, a student may have not be able to concentrate on studies, but isn't the balance time of the year or semester not enough to compensate for the loss of time.
So, any student especially of final year of college if says that he is not in the right state of mind, shall better visit a doctor to help him get in the right state of mind. Lockdown had happened in the country and many people had suffered, but the very same laborers who had left their workplaces during first lockdown last year (including many who had to travel by foot or on bicycles or tempo etc for hundreds of miles) had returned back within a few weeks after the lockdown was lifted. Because they had responsibilities on their shoulders. I am sure that the state of mind of these students, cannot be worse then those laborers. So, if these people can return to their work, so can the students.
--- The above views are my personal views and are not intended to hurt anyone or any group. Even we had passed the phase of student life so if they feel that I am referring to the students as donkeys, then what am I? An experienced donkey, isn't it ;) ---
Reference (in case the link at the top doesn't opens):
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/over-2/3rd-of-du-students-surveyed-say-not-in-state-of-mind-to-prepare-for-exams/articleshow/82953101.cms#:~:text=NEW%20DELHI%3A%20A%20survey%20of,OBE)%20scheduled%20from%20June%207.&text=The%20results%20of%20the%20survey%20have%20been%20shared%20with%20the%20university%20administration.