Examination Results
One of the chief hindrances to true education in India is the exaggerated emphasis put on university examination results. It amounts almost to a sort of idolatry ; for it tends to expel the true divinity—Education—from his temple, in order to set up that trumpery, pinch beck idol, Results, in its place.
What is the root of this false idolatry ? It may be traced to three causes. The first is the utilitarian valuation of university degrees and diplomas. The average Indian father sends his son to college, not so much to gain knowledge and culture, as to get a degree, because a degree is supposed to be the “open sesame” to Government service or, at any rate, to a respect-able, lucrative job. Like a cautious businessman, he seeks for the best investment of his hard-earned savings, and so looks round for the college that secures the highest percentage of passes — the best “results”.
In the second place comes communal rivalry. Many colleges are private denominational institutions, and the community to which a college belongs takes a communal pride in it. It is uplifted when its college gets good results, and is depressed, ashamed, and even angry, when its results are bad
Thirdly, the local press takes the matter up, and publishes and analyses the university results, pointing out that college. A stands top of the university, while college Z is at the bottom of the list. All this further impresses the public with the false idea that the only test of educational efficiency is examination pass-percentages.
This public opinion, made up of the opinions of “the aver-age parent”, communal jealousies, and press propaganda, presses upon the managing bodies of the colleges. If the results of a college are bad, the college committee (which thinks of reduced numbers and fee-income) warns the principal and staff that, if there is no improvement, they may be fined or even dismissed. The professors soon learn that their bread and butter depends on “results”. They have no time for education; for “education” does not pay. So they descend to every trick and device known to the crammer to get their students through; and resort to the “detention” system to weed out weak candidates. Finally, the pressure descends upon the heads of the wretched students. They, driven by their teachers, and by their “average parents” at home, become equally feverish to pass. They cram up bazaar cram-books, fund for examination “tips”, and load their memories with anything that may be of use in the examination.
What is the result ? Instead of “education” we get a vast system of cramming, which is the very antithesis of true mental training and development. This is what the setting up of and bowing down to a false idol ends in—the negation of true education.
