Competitive Exams and Mental Health: Before and After NEP 2020.
I listened to a lot of ABBA, during high school. I remember a line distinctly from ‘Dancing Queen’. Dancing Queen, young and seventeen. I remember listening to it in 12th grade, and wanting to cry my eyes out. I remember reading Perks of Being a Wallflower, and hoping my last year of school doesn’t remain just a year in my life. Sadly, that is exactly what happened.
I opted PCB (it stands for Physics, Chemistry and Biology; for those who are unacquainted with Indian academic jargon) and so began a race against time, fighting all odds and cramming everything in. Honestly, the academic part is not hard. If you like Science, you are not going to regret your choice. It is what comes with this choice, the metaphoric guest in the house who just won’t leave. I am talking about the intense academic pressure. The slow burning anxiety, the panic inducing atmosphere for two years, or more. Frequent burnouts, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety to name a few. Getting into the statistics of the situation and taking the case of two of the most famous entrance exams in the country; JEE which is for engineering colleges and the rightfully branded IITs, and NEET which is for medical and dental colleges across India.
In 2019, nearly 15, 19, 375 students registered for NEET. 13 lakhs ended up attempting the exam. Around half qualify, which means they score above a certain cut off. But do you know the number of medical colleges in India? 260. And the number of students who can study in this medical college; 35,540. And needless to say, students are increasing exponentially as compared to the seat. And this is exactly why the situation is as grave as it is. Students try their hardest, they work till they can’t do it anymore. They give in every ounce of the grit and effort in them, just to secure a seat. But it is practically impossible and statistically a joke for every child in this case to get what they deserve. Picture this insurmountable stress on an 18 year old.
Let me break it down for you. I come from a line of privilege. I was enrolled in a coaching for all 2 years I studied for NEET because I could afford it. I took a drop year, which is yet another ordeal by the innocent, on the innocent. Coaching institutes in this country run a dirty business of who gets the better ranker, playing with children’s lives adroitly disguised under a veil of goodwill. We only want the best for your children. They always forget to mention, We only want the best children. Once you are enrolled in a coaching center, it genuinely is a world in its own now. And coaching centers in India are analogous to Kota. As per a survey done by the Hindu in 2019, 28 students kill themselves in Kota every week. Competition in India is cutthroat, there is absolutely no denying that. However how valid is it to subject students to this chain of burn outs and distress at such an early stage in their life stands under question.
Entrance exams and the pressure they create on students has been a heated topic for the MHRD and Education Ministry the past decade, in response to the soaring student suicide rates all over the nation. The monopoly by leading coaching institutions such as Allen and Aakash on ‘producing’ rank holders has made these entrances more about commercial gain to said organisations than a ticket to colleges for students based off merit and resources.
However, amidst the turmoil and yearly frenzy of entrance exams and college admissions came a silver lining, (whether or not is the lining silver is highly subjective) National Education Policy 2020. The National Education Policy 2020, approved by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of India’s new education system. It is the beginning of radical change in the Education System as we know it. Updates like introduction of coding from 6th grade, abolishing the current 10+2 system in exchange of a 5+3+3+4 , major reforms in the Board exam system was a part of NEP. The MHRD notice and booklet issued by them had a whole lot to say about higher education and HEI (Higher Education Institutions)
Since this is only a ‘vision’, no concrete Bills or Laws have been passed out to implement said vision. Section 11.4 of the NEP booklet states that ‘ A holistic and multidisciplinary education, as described so beautifully in India ’s past, is indeed what is needed for the education of India to lead the country into the 21st century and the fourth industrial revolution. Even engineering institutions, such as IITs, will move towards more holistic and multidisciplinary education with more arts and humanities. Students of arts and humanities will aim to learn more science and all will make an effort to incorporate more vocational subjects and soft skills.’
Section 11.5 and 11.6 respectively state that ‘Imaginative and flexible curricular structures will enable creative combinations of disciplines for study, and would offer multiple entry and exit points, thus, removing currently prevalent rigid boundaries and creating new possibilities for life-long learning. Graduate-level, master’s and doctoral education in large multidisciplinary universities, while providing rigorous research-based specialization, would also provide opportunities for multidisciplinary work, including in academia, government, and industry.’
‘Large multidisciplinary universities and colleges will facilitate the move towards high-quality holistic and multidisciplinary education. Flexibility in curriculum and novel and engaging course options will be on offer to students, in addition to rigorous specialization in a subject or subjects. This will be encouraged by increased faculty and institutional autonomy in setting curricula. Pedagogy will have an increased emphasis on communication, discussion, debate, research, and opportunities for cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking.’
The plan to scrap all entrance exams and begin a common exam to get into college, very similar to the SAT s and to induce a more multidisciplinary and holistic educational environment to every student while is an extremely positive approach, its feasibility one will know only with time and if there is proper implementation. What does however matter more than anything is the students’ mental health and the promise of a bright and sustainable future.
References: https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/pib-highlights-of-the-national-education-policy-nep-2020/