Oh Come On, Let them Cheat!

It was Gujarat, 2001, two weeks from my marriage. I was working with Indian Express and courtesy few senior journalists, we decided to join the Examination Squad and raid schools.

So, off we went to more than 12 schools boldly walking from one class to the other and simply requesting to the stunned pupils to declare any material they had. We collected more than 30 dustbins of material with which we made a campfire.

One school stunned us. As soon as the Board paper was out, one guy furiously started solving it. The paper was rushed to the nearest Photocopying shop and multiple copies made and passed on to the students.

Earlier, in 1992, I had posed as Raju Dholakia and cleared the 12th English Exam (which he was failing for two years) with 68%.

In 1991, Chennai, our Chemistry paper was fairly tough, so our invigilator simply said, "Guys relax, just solve the paper together, only don't make noise".

I could go on and on and I am sure everyone will relate to this and add numerous stories here.

So, how are we different from the parents and students of Bihar? Why are we stunned? Is copying a latest craze or its just that finally the journalists are searching for stories at the right places (besides Prince and others)

I feel it is the education system based on marks and one solitary examination to be blamed.

Here is Why.

Xth and XII are God
So, if I fail my 10th or 12th or score low, what kind of future can I expect? Of course, these two years are a family mourning years. No one does anything important. Of course these are followed by more entrance exams and more number crunching. You may be an intelligent all thru your life but 10 and 12th finals you score less you are stamped (it was opposite in my case).


Where are the Teachers
Have these sucking journalists done a series on where are the teachers in village and town schools? Or even for that matter the city schools? So, the parents cannot teach, the teachers won't teach and yet the student will have to be intelligent to crack the Board exams. Grow up.

Teaching Profession Sucks
We hand the reigns of our child's future to the teachers who are poorly paid, non-committed, ill educated, tuition hungry and then expect them to prepare our kids for Boards (I am not saying Life, yet). So, you dont pay teachers, who do not turn up and then parents can't even teach so, what happens?

Schools are Inadequate
Where are the classrooms, where is the infrastructure? Where would the students study? Show me the space? So, there is no reason and location for the kids to go to study and then, post that the students still dream of a future and the road to the future runs through the Board Exams.

Mugging, TextBook Flaws and more...
The format is wrong. The process of education is flawed. Cramming is encouraged, madness is allowed. Out dated syllabus rules and then you expect the kids and parents to hit the Board with flying colours? Come on, please have a heart.

We are privileged to afford tuitions, send kids to expensive schools and much more. Is the same applicable to 90% of the other India? Yet, we will bring them on the same platform as us and ask them to compete on marks.

Cut the Crap, let everyone copy maxkyahoga at least the neglected India has the chance to catch up with the privileged India and fight a fair war from there.

Let the best Copying process win.

BTW, I made a career out of Copy writing.