JEE 2013 in fact came not because the new admission format, with weightage to school board results tall order.
JEE 2013 in fact came not because the new admission format, with weightage to school board results — in order to discourage the rote-style learning of coaching classes — was a big improvement over the previous exam systems. But because the ministry had stuck its neck out and announced last year that the new format would be brought in 2013.
This is despite the fact that the normalisation formula that was to be agreed upon in order to give due weightage to board scores was not finalised. Even till May this year, hectic, desperate meetings were being held in the HRD Ministry to arrive at a workable, bias-free admission formula.
If top officials were reluctant about the idea, there were other red flags that should have put the ministry on guard. An independent global centre with expertise in standardisation of tests that was consulted by the HRD Ministry, the Australian Council for Educational Research, had strongly advised against any attempts at normalisation of board marks, saying it was not going to yield the desired results.
What appears to have still prompted the HRD Ministry to press ahead was fear of a huge embarrassment should they backtrack.
However, in the process, careers of lakhs of aspiring students have been subjected to an untested experiment.
Incidentally, JEE 2013 emerged from the larger idea of bringing in a single, national-level SAT-style common entrance exam for all undergraduate programmes.
Hopefully, that will be implemented after due homework and less haste. For as this year's example shows, bungled education policies don't just create confusion and invite litigation but these have far-reaching implications for students and eventually institutions.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/illprepared-jee-fails-in-first-test/1141286/0
JEE 2013 in fact came not because the new admission format, with weightage to school board results — in order to discourage the rote-style learning of coaching classes — was a big improvement over the previous exam systems. But because the ministry had stuck its neck out and announced last year that the new format would be brought in 2013.
This is despite the fact that the normalisation formula that was to be agreed upon in order to give due weightage to board scores was not finalised. Even till May this year, hectic, desperate meetings were being held in the HRD Ministry to arrive at a workable, bias-free admission formula.
If top officials were reluctant about the idea, there were other red flags that should have put the ministry on guard. An independent global centre with expertise in standardisation of tests that was consulted by the HRD Ministry, the Australian Council for Educational Research, had strongly advised against any attempts at normalisation of board marks, saying it was not going to yield the desired results.
What appears to have still prompted the HRD Ministry to press ahead was fear of a huge embarrassment should they backtrack.
However, in the process, careers of lakhs of aspiring students have been subjected to an untested experiment.
Incidentally, JEE 2013 emerged from the larger idea of bringing in a single, national-level SAT-style common entrance exam for all undergraduate programmes.
Hopefully, that will be implemented after due homework and less haste. For as this year's example shows, bungled education policies don't just create confusion and invite litigation but these have far-reaching implications for students and eventually institutions.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/illprepared-jee-fails-in-first-test/1141286/0
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