Education - Just Marks/Grades or Acquiring Real Knowledge?

[King Cricket]

Yeah that's the very thing we need. And now kids will grind their noses to death, mug up all the books, and it'll be who mugs up books best. So the next thing we know the requirement for getting into IIT's is your capability to cram books.

Like I said, the recommendations have their own set of limitations and loopholes and if implemented, won't change the scenario much. But at least they are introducing an aptitude test and all, which is not a bad thing.

 

[Varun]

Kapil Sibal is saying that he's trying to release the pressure on students. Believe me, I'm in 9th and I have to submit a bloody project every week along with a bloody weekly test.

That's the very problem. Students want to spend hours and hours of time on cramming guides and just learning bookish knowledge and when they have to do some nice projects, they think them as bloody and full of pressure..

But the thing which infuriates me the most is that if you win a prize in some competition your grades will be increased

Talent counts.

Thats really sad since the guys who study work hard to get A1 grade and the other guys play all day, study before the exams and get A1. That process allows even DUFFERS to pass.

Studying doesn't make anyone toppers or duffers. It is the approach to your life that makes you a topper or a duffer. A student who does not get as much marks as you may be better than you in some aspect.

What we consider is only that the student scores above 90 or not.

Yeah! Another problem which has lead to a problem. If you see the environment in my class, about 8 girls are in top ten besides me and my friend. Those girls always look down on boys and think way too much of themselves.
I say, what the hell you've got on getting 90% about that you're being so proud of thyself. Huh ? But they just ignore, just ignore.

varun_rustagi added 4 Minutes and 25 Seconds later...

I mean one who doesn't have the simple ability to understand whats happening around him, God help those kind of people in college.

You are not the one to decide who understands what. You're just in 9th, you know very less about the world.

There are also some type of people who cat-whistle in classes, make fun of teachers etc. Tell me, do these people deserve to pass?

Urrghh! making fun doesn't make anybody bad. It's just nature.
People make fun to hide their sadness. I've seen many of my friends who always just keep joking but are very sensitive on the inner side.
On the contrary, I've seen many people who try to show that they're sensitive but are dumb(unemotional, mean) on the other side.

 

[P Squared]

Talent counts.

Look mate talents are in their own place and studies in their own. You just cant compare the 2. I also win many prizes but never have I felt that my marks should increase just because of that.

You are not the one to decide who understands what. You're just in 9th, you know very less about the world.

I dont think I need to be told that from a guy who's just an year older than me. Oh yeah and I do understand a lot of things since you can't even imagine what all I've been through.

Studying doesn't make anyone toppers or duffers. It is the approach to your life that makes you a topper or a duffer. A student who does not get as much marks as you may be better than you in some aspect.

Did I ever say not studying makes a guy a duffer? No!!!!
I meant their general behaviour and along with the fact that they just cram before exams. And FYI Ive never been a topper because I try to understand things instead of just cramming them.

Urrghh! making fun doesn't make anybody bad. It's just nature.

Tell me, emotionally hurting a teacher and making her cry is okay? Ive seen what some kids in my school have done to a teacher. She doesnt have enough emotional strength to teach even now.

That's the very problem. Students want to spend hours and hours of time on cramming guides and just learning bookish knowledge and when they have to do some nice projects, they think them as bloody and full of pressure..

On the contrary I think that my post has been taken out of context. When did I say I want to cram? You know what Ive always wanted to study not cram. I was saying that a weekly test is just not good because you have to study so much in so little time that you have to cram. But Ive never done it and maybe thats why Ive never been a topper. As for the projects, is making charts out of the textbooks interesting? If they wanted to give us a proper interesting project then they would have given us something totally out of the books so that it would be interesting.

 

[King Cricket]

Look mate talents are in their own place and studies in their own. You just cant compare the 2. I also win many prizes but never have I felt that my marks should increase just because of that.

Both extra-curricular activities and academics are equally important in shaping a person's life. They are inter-related. Suppose someone isn't so strong in academics, but to balance it up he/she has extraordinary talent in other fields (say music or sports) Does it imply that the child is in any way less inferior than the one who is good in studies and gets the class highest grades each year? The focus of education should be to nurture and develop not just the scholastic skills of a child. It should extend far beyond that, and bring about the all-round development of a learner. Therefore if a school decides to put stress on these extra-curricular activities I mentioned by awarding grades and prizes, then that is actually a very noble thing to do. It provides encouragement to a child and is an indirect method of telling him/her that the school values and has high regards for his/her talents which can be a great moral booster for those who like I said are not good in studies but are endowed with talent in other fields. Confining marks and grades to measure just the scholastic aptitude of a child is not the right thing to do, especially in the modern society.

Tell me, emotionally hurting a teacher and making her cry is okay? Ive seen what some kids in my school have done to a teacher

You've taken the example to a ridiculous extreme. I think what Varun was trying to say is that some lighthearted exchanges amongst students regarding teachers won't do much harm, if the persons concerned don't have any malicious intent and are doing such stuff just for pure fun. Something like what Rancho would do in the film "Three Idiots". Of course that doesn't mean making a teacher cry.

 

[Varun]

Look mate talents are in their own place and studies in their own. You just cant compare the 2. I also win many prizes but never have I felt that my marks should increase just because of that.

They can be compared. Getting good marks is a talent if you don't cram.

I dont think I need to be told that from a guy who's just an year older than me. Oh yeah and I do understand a lot of things since you can't even imagine what all I've been through.

PC members know more than others. Like KC, he is just 14 but sounds like a intelligent 18-19 years old.

I meant their general behaviour and along with the fact that they just cram before exams. And FYI Ive never been a topper because I try to understand things instead of just cramming them.

I agree with you for that. I will just say that cramming gives temporary success and understanding gives long-term success.

Tell me, emotionally hurting a teacher and making her cry is okay? Ive seen what some kids in my school have done to a teacher. She doesnt have enough emotional strength to teach even now.

Actually this has happened in my class to. They will pay for their deeds afterwards. Why say that they don't deserve to pass ? We're no one to decide that.

 

[ARay]

And FYI Ive never been a topper because I try to understand things instead of just cramming them.

This is the one point that hasn't been covered by Varun or King. What in the world makes you think that if you understand stuff, you can never be a topper? I think such an assumption is totally baseless.

If you have the necessary knowledge you can top the class with relative ease. This is because you have a clear understanding of the topic. If you can state your concepts clearly in your paper. You should have no problems of any sort.

 

[Varun]

I agree with ARay. And adding on I say that you cannot be a topper if you study(or understand stuff) for marks. Pure toppers are those who study for their own interest and not just for marks.

 

[Kshitiz_Indian]

I agree with ARay. And adding on I say that you cannot be a topper if you study(or understand stuff) for marks. Pure toppers are those who study for their own interest and not just for marks.

All nicely said, but in my 12 years of schooling I've never seen ONE topper like the one you described, all cram heads. Perhaps this kind of stuff happens in college...

 

[Varun]

Perhaps this kind of stuff happens in college...

Haha! Reminds me of 3 Idiots.:laugh

I know one.There is a student in another section of tenth in my school, TBH the most intelligent student in whole tenth in our school.
He is in the top three of the class since 6th.
And he doesn't cram, if you talk to him, you are amazed to see his knowledge.
He even knew all about "Fibonacci Numbers" when he was just in 9th.

 

[King Cricket]

This is the one point that hasn't been covered by Varun or King. What in the world makes you think that if you understand stuff, you can never be a topper? I think such an assumption is totally baseless.

Ironically, that's pretty much the truth. I never gave a damn to tution classes, coaching centers, and cram schools despite my parents and teachers constantly telling me to do so yet I emerged as the topper of my class last year with above 90% marks in almost all the subjects bar Bengali and English Literature, and that did come as as a surprise to all as they just didn't expect someone who is hell bent on not doing what 'others do' to perform so well in an exam which strictly adheres to tradition and convention.

You can definitely be a topper if you understand stuff and don't cram, as, like MuchMore said a few pages back, the questions will appear shittingly easy for you then which, going by personal experiences, has indeed been the case. That's not the point here though.

 

[Varun]

Ironically, that's pretty much the truth. I never gave a damn to tution classes, coaching centers, and cram schools despite my parents and teachers constantly telling me to do so yet I emerged as the topper of my class last year with above 90% marks in almost all the subjects bar Bengali and English Literature, and that did come as as a surprise to all as they just didn't expect someone who is hell bent on not doing what 'others do' to perform so well in an exam which strictly adheres to tradition and convention.

Pretty much my story. Only that I'm not the topper of class (But in Top 5) but I have done well in Olympiads etc.

 

[P Squared]

I talked to the topper of my standard and asked how do you study so much and he said that he had never been bothered to understand anything and that he just crammed everything and the marks came. And its interesting to note that my rank in the NSTSE olympiad was 5000 something and his was 13000 something. I know its neither here nor there but I was just trying to say that cramming can only get you this far. School Exams are tailor made for crammers. Its the olympiads which test you.

And I said that I understand stuff but I'm not a topper because the teachers they want exactly what they told you, even if its wrong. So most of my different but nonetheless correct answers were wronged by the teachers.

 

[Varun]

I would just say one thing - Keep doing what you're doing now. Don't crave to be a topper. You'll have (big) success in your life in future.

 

[Meet]

Even I suggest you the same.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Marks/Grades FTW