CBSE exam fiasco

The news in Gulf news over the last few days has been depressing to say the very least. Three big stories emerged that have caused grave consternation the world over.

First, there was the Facebook fiasco with leaks galore – surely Mark Zuckerberg and his team of technocrats could have done better.  Now we see prominent individuals closing down their Facebook accounts. Is Facebook bothered at all if they do so, and does it help?

Then comes the Australian saga – excellent cricketers cheating blatantly. Does the crying and the apology exonerate the perpetrators of their dastardly act?  Is it some sort of a pattern? Has it been done before?

Closer home we have the CBSE paper leaks and  re - exams being ordered  in two papers  . If reports in the media are to be believed, the CBSE officials got wind of the leak a few days before the Economics paper for Grade 12 .  Why was the matter not dealt with immediately – was there no one to bell the cat ? Why did they go ahead with the exam in the first place? It would have easier and more appropriate to  postpone it.

Why were pupils made to appear for an exam, knowing fully well that it would have to be redone? These and many more questions are being asked and answers are not forthcoming.

At first, there was denial, then disbelief and then finally admittance. Social media, WhatsApp and ‘some miscreants’ were blamed for spreading rumours ! Then all hell broke loose and the cat was out of the bag .

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar is now looking into the matter and has said that a leak proof system would be put in place for conducting Board exams .( Gulf News 30^th March )

 Strange words indeed – was the system for conducting the exam not leak proof earlier? . Were there chinks in the armour ?

So now there is to be a re – exam and that has brought with it umpteen headaches for parents, pupils and schools .

The schools in the gulf are in a quandary. A large number of pupils are travelling. Others have gone to appear for entrance exams in India while others are preparing to do so. Pupils were relieved that the exams were over – they had done well and were happy with the papers – it’s stress all over again now.

Various channels keep giving conflicting reports and that is compounding the confusion . While some say there is a re exam for all candidates, others say there will be no re exam outside India

This is indeed a sad reflection of the education system . In order not to lose credibility ,  the board  must take stringent action when the culprits are booked .  Parents are anxious and angry terming this whole matter as a farce and a joke in poor taste .

Come on CBSE- am sure you can do better

Michael Guzder

050 6568672/ 04 3372117

CBSE exam fiasco

The news in Gulf news over the last few days has been depressing to say the very least. Three big stories emerged that have caused grave consternation the world over.

First, there was the Facebook fiasco with leaks galore – surely Mark Zuckerberg and his team of technocrats could have done better.  Now we see prominent individuals closing down their Facebook accounts. Is Facebook bothered at all if they do so, and does it help?

Then comes the Australian saga – excellent cricketers cheating blatantly. Does the crying and the apology exonerate the perpetrators of their dastardly act?  Is it some sort of a pattern? Has it been done before?

Closer home we have the CBSE paper leaks and  re - exams being ordered  in two papers  . If reports in the media are to be believed, the CBSE officials got wind of the leak a few days before the Economics paper for Grade 12 .  Why was the matter not dealt with immediately – was there no one to bell the cat ? Why did they go ahead with the exam in the first place? It would have easier and more appropriate to  postpone it.

Why were pupils made to appear for an exam, knowing fully well that it would have to be redone? These and many more questions are being asked and answers are not forthcoming.

At first, there was denial, then disbelief and then finally admittance. Social media, WhatsApp and ‘some miscreants’ were blamed for spreading rumours ! Then all hell broke loose and the cat was out of the bag .

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar is now looking into the matter and has said that a leak proof system would be put in place for conducting Board exams .( Gulf News 30^th March )

 Strange words indeed – was the system for conducting the exam not leak proof earlier? . Were there chinks in the armour ?

So now there is to be a re – exam and that has brought with it umpteen headaches for parents, pupils and schools .

The schools in the gulf are in a quandary. A large number of pupils are travelling. Others have gone to appear for entrance exams in India while others are preparing to do so. Pupils were relieved that the exams were over – they had done well and were happy with the papers – it’s stress all over again now.

Various channels keep giving conflicting reports and that is compounding the confusion . While some say there is a re exam for all candidates, others say there will be no re exam outside India

This is indeed a sad reflection of the education system . In order not to lose credibility ,  the board  must take stringent action when the culprits are booked .  Parents are anxious and angry terming this whole matter as a farce and a joke in poor taste .

Come on CBSE- am sure you can do better

Michael Guzder

050 6568672/ 04 3372117

The new Intimate

The New Intimate ( Anamika Chatterjee, 23^rd March ) made interesting reading  no doubt  but whoever believed that marital unions were fairy tales was living in a fool’s paradise . I do not pretend to be an expert on the topic but reality is what a marriage is all about.

Agree that having and raising a child are important milestones in a relationship and there could be problems galore along the way but rather than treat them as pitfalls, if we considered them pit stops, a lot of the perceived heartache would automatically be dissipated.

It is difficult to agree with Mathew Johnson . Supposedly, researchers have concluded that relationships suffer once kids come along. In lighter vein – when one is not sure – just say it has been researched!

The dynamics will definitely change says the research! – But then isn’t that stating the obvious? One extra chess piece on the board does throw things out of sync for a while but once things have been ironed out, the game can continue as usual.

With the feeding, crying, changing nappies, schooling, cajoling, and other mundane tasks that marriages entail, there definitely will be a strain at times. Arguments, disagreements and tears are inevitable.  However taking a heavy toll on a relationship is definitely at the other end of the spectrum. Don’t forget – its two adults , often with different personalities, backgrounds  and aims in life that have been joined together in matrimony and if you add in the ‘ arranged marriages’  then that’s another ball game altogether.

If anything, I have seen kids bringing spouses closer together and saving marriages. In the end, it’s all about expectations . If you expect your marriage to pan out without hiccups, you are expecting the moon .There are bound to be squabbles ,  issues and snares but nothing so drastic that cannot be worked out amicably.

What actually really separates contented couples from those in deep marital misery is a healthy balance between their positive and negative feelings and actions toward each other.

Volatile couples, for example, stick together by balancing their frequent arguments with a lot of love and passion. Others throw in the towel believing all is lost .

. I have seen a large number of couples  equating  a low level of conflict with happiness and believe the claim "we never fight" is a sign of marital health.

But I believe we grow in our relationships by reconciling our differences. That is how we become people that are more loving and truly experience the fruits of marriage.

Rather than blame kids , I would say that marriages require care , time, mutual appreciation , love ,  respect   , fun and energy to be nurtured . Immaturity, irrational behavior, ego,   resentment, blame, putting self before ‘couple’, and lies can  ruin a marriage.

Leave alone marriage, for anything to work involving human relationships, a lot depends on how much you put in and the same with marriage .

The new Intimate

The New Intimate ( Anamika Chatterjee, 23^rd March ) made interesting reading  no doubt  but whoever believed that marital unions were fairy tales was living in a fool’s paradise . I do not pretend to be an expert on the topic but reality is what a marriage is all about.

Agree that having and raising a child are important milestones in a relationship and there could be problems galore along the way but rather than treat them as pitfalls, if we considered them pit stops, a lot of the perceived heartache would automatically be dissipated.

It is difficult to agree with Mathew Johnson . Supposedly, researchers have concluded that relationships suffer once kids come along. In lighter vein – when one is not sure – just say it has been researched!

The dynamics will definitely change says the research! – But then isn’t that stating the obvious? One extra chess piece on the board does throw things out of sync for a while but once things have been ironed out, the game can continue as usual.

With the feeding, crying, changing nappies, schooling, cajoling, and other mundane tasks that marriages entail, there definitely will be a strain at times. Arguments, disagreements and tears are inevitable.  However taking a heavy toll on a relationship is definitely at the other end of the spectrum. Don’t forget – its two adults , often with different personalities, backgrounds  and aims in life that have been joined together in matrimony and if you add in the ‘ arranged marriages’  then that’s another ball game altogether.

If anything, I have seen kids bringing spouses closer together and saving marriages. In the end, it’s all about expectations . If you expect your marriage to pan out without hiccups, you are expecting the moon .There are bound to be squabbles ,  issues and snares but nothing so drastic that cannot be worked out amicably.

What actually really separates contented couples from those in deep marital misery is a healthy balance between their positive and negative feelings and actions toward each other.

Volatile couples, for example, stick together by balancing their frequent arguments with a lot of love and passion. Others throw in the towel believing all is lost .

. I have seen a large number of couples  equating  a low level of conflict with happiness and believe the claim "we never fight" is a sign of marital health.

But I believe we grow in our relationships by reconciling our differences. That is how we become people that are more loving and truly experience the fruits of marriage.

Rather than blame kids , I would say that marriages require care , time, mutual appreciation , love ,  respect   , fun and energy to be nurtured . Immaturity, irrational behavior, ego,   resentment, blame, putting self before ‘couple’, and lies can  ruin a marriage.

Leave alone marriage, for anything to work involving human relationships, a lot depends on how much you put in and the same with marriage .

A teacher to remember

 

When I look back on my years as a school boy, I remember a teacher who left an indelible impression on my mind for various reasons. He taught Mathematics, was energetic, strict and determined to see that no pupil was ever left behind in the subject.

He was empathetic, motivational, original and caring. Period after period, he went about his  task methodically. For him, teaching was definitely a passion. While I did not excel in the subject, what he taught me, stayed with me, and today,  when I look back 40 odd years later , it was probably he who unknowingly motivated me to become a teacher.

The year was 1968 but the memories are vivid. I was in St Joseph’s Allahabad .

We called him UNCLE JOE – he was a master, guide, father figure, math whiz, tutor and an orphan.

Being brought up by a single parent myself I guess I was drawn to him . Having not done well in the subject my mother asked me to approach him for private tuition, which I did rather hesitatingly as I knew my mother could hardly afford it .

I also asked him how much he would charge. He asked me to start tuition and informed me that he would talk about charges later. He never did .

Day after day and month after month, me and a few others like me were knocking at his door at 5. 30 am . Being a bachelor, his room was always untidy with newspapers strewn around – he was a voracious reader .

He would clear the table by sweeping everything on to the floor and for an hour we would be immersed in sums . Whether adding, subtracting, dividing or multiplying – from  the top, the bottom , side ways , on paper or in his head , the answer were always correct .

Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry began making sense all of a sudden and he managed to clear concepts like no other teacher had ever done .

The year went by and I managed to pass with good marks.

When I went to show him my report card , he congratulated me -  I then asked him about his charges .

He smiled and said ‘ No charge Michael ‘ Just pray for me .

Uncle Joe died a few years later –he had been ill and no one knew it -  he was only 40 . May his soul rest in peace.

His life was gentle, and the elements mixed so well in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, “This was a man.”

Thank you Sir

A teacher to remember

 

When I look back on my years as a school boy, I remember a teacher who left an indelible impression on my mind for various reasons. He taught Mathematics, was energetic, strict and determined to see that no pupil was ever left behind in the subject.

He was empathetic, motivational, original and caring. Period after period, he went about his  task methodically. For him, teaching was definitely a passion. While I did not excel in the subject, what he taught me, stayed with me, and today,  when I look back 40 odd years later , it was probably he who unknowingly motivated me to become a teacher.

The year was 1968 but the memories are vivid. I was in St Joseph’s Allahabad .

We called him UNCLE JOE – he was a master, guide, father figure, math whiz, tutor and an orphan.

Being brought up by a single parent myself I guess I was drawn to him . Having not done well in the subject my mother asked me to approach him for private tuition, which I did rather hesitatingly as I knew my mother could hardly afford it .

I also asked him how much he would charge. He asked me to start tuition and informed me that he would talk about charges later. He never did .

Day after day and month after month, me and a few others like me were knocking at his door at 5. 30 am . Being a bachelor, his room was always untidy with newspapers strewn around – he was a voracious reader .

He would clear the table by sweeping everything on to the floor and for an hour we would be immersed in sums . Whether adding, subtracting, dividing or multiplying – from  the top, the bottom , side ways , on paper or in his head , the answer were always correct .

Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry began making sense all of a sudden and he managed to clear concepts like no other teacher had ever done .

The year went by and I managed to pass with good marks.

When I went to show him my report card , he congratulated me -  I then asked him about his charges .

He smiled and said ‘ No charge Michael ‘ Just pray for me .

Uncle Joe died a few years later –he had been ill and no one knew it -  he was only 40 . May his soul rest in peace.

His life was gentle, and the elements mixed so well in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, “This was a man.”

Thank you Sir