Editor,
The recent declaration of CBSE results for Classes 10 and 12 has spurred the race for admission in higher classes among the parents and guardians. I also tried to emulate them and made a maiden visit to a school, seeking admission in Class 11. There I found the problem among educational institutions that is followed by almost every school in Arunachal Pradesh and India.
The school sets a certain threshold of marks. If a student scores below it, admission is denied. Every qualified student will also not make it to the final spot.
These qualification marks supposedly represent uniformity and equality which the Indian Constitution strives to. However, they eclipse the dire social conditions of Arunachali pupils, particularly the STs.
Moreover, with upsetting academic performance – mere 55% passed the 10th class in government schools (2025 data) – these qualifying marks are unjustified. Students who seek to assimilate late will have to smother their aspirations to study in reputed schools under trusted guidance, like KVs, VKVs, etc. Nonetheless, they have other options too: drop out, join a private institute, take up distance learning, engage in unskilled manual labouring, etc.
However, this is not the actual problem that the students face. A student studying in the same school since the first standard till clearance of board exams but fails to clear the threshold set by his/her own school is relegated out. Now, who is going to take the responsibility of the student? Logically, the present school should house the student anyhow, because the school took the responsibility years ago. Parents/guardians do have some responsibility, but their inefficiency should not cost their child’s career. Is the quote, ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’ for schools a mirage? Formally, schools pledge to enlighten/teach every student, but when one performs poorly it’s not their problem.
The school may put forward two arguments: firstly, a student couldn’t learn due to his/her incapacity; secondly, we cannot take a poorly performing student. Therefore, schools are apparently running away from their prestigious duty. Hence, schools that we call temples do not exist in reality.
It seems pleasing that schools are promoting meritocracy, which is healthy for a competitive India, but what about the students who could not make it to the final selection? This is one of the main reasons for school dropouts and exorbitant fees in private institutions. Additionally, such thresholds can be criticised as a clever way of claiming the credits from already performing students and for increasing its own dwindling credit scores/status.
An interesting question – what will happen if all the students score 100% marks? Will the school be able to accommodate all its students scoring above that threshold?
There must be an equitable distribution, which means that every student should be given an equal chance to study at their preferred school. One of the solutions lies in the promotion of first come, first served strategy, which will encourage schools’/teachers’ dedicated roles.
Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy, Itanagar, for example, has no classes beyond Class 10. Students excelling in their respective sports have to opt for standard schools after matriculation and their sports careers are at stake.
The government, at this point of time when India is becoming viksit, needs to intervene and regulate the education system with a bottom-up approach and decentralisation. With this practice of eliminating students, the dream of a Shikshit Arunachal by 2029 will never be actualised.
Pombu Tai Kampung