Schools draw line on basis of marks

Vasundhara Vyas / TNN / Feb 24, 2008, 01:51 IST

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The toppers in many schools of the city have been segregated from others in order to be groomed specially.

AHMEDABAD: It is a rat race and nobody wants to be left behind. That must be the reason why students of Class X and Class XII, almost two months before the exams, were segregated on the basis of their marks in prelims and performance through the year.
The so-called 'creamy layer' of the schools are separated by authorities to arm the rest to fight their competition.
The toppers in many schools of the city have been picked out to be groomed specially. Their routine includes writing test papers of the previous years, more tests and more tests.
"The reason why we have picked out the toppers is that their level of understanding is higher and thus their level of assessment is higher as well. If we continue testing them in the same format, it is no value addition to them. The child needs to be given newer challenges so they can push their limits a little and perform better," said Raja Pathak, the director of Udgam School.

There are schools where the students are writing three papers in a day, like the HB Kapadia School.
The trustee of the school, Muktak Kapadia, said, "In the last academic year, all my students have written around 20 papers in each subject. We do not want any aspect of the textbook untouched and I think regular tests are the best way of preparation. Students with over 75 per cent marks have been separated. These students write test papers which are immediately corrected and their mistakes are worked upon with the help of their respective subject teachers."

At the Mount Carmel School, though the girls have already gone on their preparatory leave, the school authorities make sure that they maintain their connection with the school.
"It is important that the students keep coming back to the school because staying home for too long may disrupt their pace of preparation. Once they come to the school, they could meet their friends, discuss their doubts with their teachers and also shed their stress," said Sister Priscilla Lobo, the principal of Mount Carmel School.
Iti Shukla, a practising child psychologist, said, "The schools that are indulging in this practice should not be driven in a manner that they ignore the increasing stress levels on the students. These students are already performing well and thus they tend to have their own set of expectations. The parents, if aware of their child's stressful routine, watch them and help them take regular breaks."

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