Toppers and Merit Listers
Six years back, when I first landed in Pune, the very next day Maharashtra Board HSC results were announced. My shock at that time has now turned into sympathy for majority of students giving those exams. The reason is that this board is crazy like nuts about 'Topper' tag. Here is the glimpse.
1. There is an overall topper each in boys and girls.
2. There is a topper each in Science, Art, & Commerce streams.
3. A topper in handicapped category.
4. A topper for night schools.
5. A topper for vocational streams.
6. A topper in each of the districts/zones of Maharashtra.
7. A topper in backward class.
If there are other toppers, then please pardon me for not remembering that. I am sure these poor students must be having hard remembering as well. That is not all, there is also a separate merit list of boys and girls for most of the aforementioned categories.
Then there is a rat race amongst schools for these merit lists and top positions. Not far behind are the coaching classes in this race. Now you can see when there are so many toppers and merit listers, and there is so much hype and hoopla involved, then spare a thought for those students who have done reasonably well by any standards but failed to make it to merit list.
Where would their confidence be? Had there been just one topper each for both boys and girls, and a merit list of, say, about 10, then it would have made some sense. But when there would be toppers and merit listers galore in every city, every town, then those who miss out feel miserable because an impression is set that those who made it are a chosen few, and rest mere mortals.
Then, there is a lot of compromise on quality too. Last year, over all topper was somewhere above 95%, while night school topper was at 78%. Does it make any sense?
More the toppers, more is the scope for mistakes. Last year, a wrong student was announced night school topper. It was rectified after 3 days. That poor chap was inconsolable. All the celebrations in his lane were stopped. Such is the importance of topping to the students, guardians and well wishers here.
I don't know, when the better sense would prevail. Not until, the heads of coaching classes like Chate, and Jog are there as representatives in board council. This system is a money minting affair for them, and they know well how to showcase and market it.
1. There is an overall topper each in boys and girls.
2. There is a topper each in Science, Art, & Commerce streams.
3. A topper in handicapped category.
4. A topper for night schools.
5. A topper for vocational streams.
6. A topper in each of the districts/zones of Maharashtra.
7. A topper in backward class.
If there are other toppers, then please pardon me for not remembering that. I am sure these poor students must be having hard remembering as well. That is not all, there is also a separate merit list of boys and girls for most of the aforementioned categories.
Then there is a rat race amongst schools for these merit lists and top positions. Not far behind are the coaching classes in this race. Now you can see when there are so many toppers and merit listers, and there is so much hype and hoopla involved, then spare a thought for those students who have done reasonably well by any standards but failed to make it to merit list.
Where would their confidence be? Had there been just one topper each for both boys and girls, and a merit list of, say, about 10, then it would have made some sense. But when there would be toppers and merit listers galore in every city, every town, then those who miss out feel miserable because an impression is set that those who made it are a chosen few, and rest mere mortals.
Then, there is a lot of compromise on quality too. Last year, over all topper was somewhere above 95%, while night school topper was at 78%. Does it make any sense?
More the toppers, more is the scope for mistakes. Last year, a wrong student was announced night school topper. It was rectified after 3 days. That poor chap was inconsolable. All the celebrations in his lane were stopped. Such is the importance of topping to the students, guardians and well wishers here.
I don't know, when the better sense would prevail. Not until, the heads of coaching classes like Chate, and Jog are there as representatives in board council. This system is a money minting affair for them, and they know well how to showcase and market it.
posted by Unknown at 10:21 AM
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