With the ICSE and ISC results just having been declared, and the students scoring well above 95-99 per cent in a lot of cases, studying for the sake of knowledge no longer seems on priority for most students today, what with the whole educational system geared towards higher percentage.
Every school, tuition center and coaching institute seems to have forgotten the basic motto of education, i.e. imparting knowledge in their quest for making students achieve more marks.
As a result, do students study strategically to gain good marks or prefer a thorough study to gain better knowledge? Metrolife spoke to youth to explain their criteria of studying the year round.
“Why should we study the whole syllabus when we are already provided with a marking scheme? asks Akash Chawla. “We just have to figure out what’s important and what not, and fit that into the scheme. Doing the whole syllabus is a waste of time as it is so vast and creates confusion. I always study strategically and usually get good marks, so I have no complaints about this method,” explains Akash Chawala, a BCA student.
This method is popular among school students too, as the students are reluctant to study in the beginning of the term year, so they use all kinds of tactics towards the end of their session. They even shell out a lot of money for private tuition just to get familiar with some shortcuts to clear exams. One such student is Jalaj Bhaskar, “Studying the whole book is a little old fashioned. We usually gain a lot of marks in viva and internal assessment, so we need only few marks in actual theory paper. And to study whole year just for that, isn’t a cool idea.”
While most of the students stick to their planned and calculated approach, teachers still focus on the overall syllabus as they consider it the safest and most secure way of gaining knowledge. “I don’t even consider this education when you are not even gaining knowledge.
How can you consider it a part of your education? Strategising may benefit students in the short term but this method is ruining their future in the long run. I am very annoyed with strategic studying as in this scenario the students know the answer to the questions but don’t know how they got there or even the meaning of what they are saying” says Kavita Sharma, a private school teacher, told Metrolife.
School and colleges are considered temples of learning but is the ‘learning’ factor fading away to make way for marks alone? Are good marks a sign of brilliance? Are shortcuts, mugging up and direct formulas corrupting a child’s future? Rhetorical questions these, for all the shortcuts in learning will not guarantee success but knowledge based learning will ensure that your child broadens his horizons and achieves her potential. Ask Azim Premji, Subhash Chandra, Bill Gates, or even the current youth icon Mark Zuckerberg.