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A Tale of Two Syllabus - Dasan and Vijayan

The Beginning 

The biggest casualty of the Pandemic was the education sector, especially the K-12 schools and its children. What we saw in the initial days was localised fire fighting based on the logic and knowledge of individual educators. Even over a year down the line, the fact remains that we are still left with no standardised guidelines that could practically be followed by all schools.  

As the health workers took the spotlight, fighting a collective battle mostly following standardised procedures to protect people from the virus, the academicians were left in the dark to fight a lonely battle to protect their children from learning gaps, anxiety and mental distress.  

Governments across the world did their PR stunts in all possible ways to stay connected with its people in distress. Most IT firms, health equipment manufacturers and distributors were looking ahead to create a fortune in the new world order. In all this chaos, the only ones who did not really figure up in anyone’s ‘priority list’ were our little school going children. The ones we all proudly call the future of our nation! These were the ones to first get locked up at their homes and would probably be the last to be allowed to come out. And as almost everyone focused to make them achieve the learning outcomes as per the curriculum and the syllabus, in the middle of the biggest crisis they have ever faced, and hopefully will ever face in their lifetime, they were let down miserably amidst gadgets and internet! 

Dasan 

Dasan was so happy to hear the announcement that this year, his studies would be through the television! He was even more elated to know that the new fad in town was to distribute LED TV’s and Tabs to school children. Probably for the first time in his life, at a time when he could now no longer go to school, Dasan felt so proud to be a school going child! The government and its departments went up in applause about the number of viewers on its channel and bragged about the learning that was happening across the state. The philanthropists were feeling a gold rush. The Corona Virus had brought about happiness in many lives! 

The initial days of anxiety and excitement soon settled. With no personal online classes with his teacher, Dasan realized that all he had to do was watch the television and answer the whatsapp messages from his teacher. As months passed by with no end in sight to the pandemic, something at the back of his mind told him – “this year will all the way be like this!” And this felt like such an interesting proposition to Dasan. Every time he thought of it, there would appear a smirk on his face. 

But at the end of the academic year, things changed! Dasan had thought he would not have to attend the final exams. But unfortunately he was ‘presented’ a question paper with questions worth 160 marks. And he had the choice to answer every question that he knew - or did not! The only catch was that the maximum he could score would be 80 marks! Dasan was so confused by this absurd twist. Why should he not get the full marks… if at all he answered all the questions correctly!  

He anyways decided to try his luck. Dasan felt like a real warrior. Wielding his sword through a field of 160 marks, trying to cut out his 80! 

Vijayan 

Vijayan woke up early that day. He was anxious about his first day at school.  His father’s regular transfer, had yet again made him join this new school in this new State. He did not know anyone here and in fact had not even seen his school, in brick and mortar, as even the admission process was handled online. 

Video conferencing apps and online meetings were new to him. And though he was to attend classes from home, his school insisted that he wear his uniform and sit at his study space during the online classes as per his time table.  All this made him feel even more anxious as he continued to brush his teeth and take his bath. 

Once ready, he moved out wondering why the philanthropists had not yet visited his home to gift him with his brand new phone. His father had once told him he was one of those hundreds of thousands of children who were saving the exchequer thousands of crores of rupees per annum. His father could not be wrong. “But if he was true, shouldn’t I be the one getting all the applause and gifts?” – Vijayan wondered! 

Before he could think of a logical answer, he climbed onto the terrace of his home, hoping to catch some internet signal. He wielded the second hand phone his uncle had gifted him a few months ago, as if he was a warrior all alone, fighting the disruption caused by the pandemic! 

In a few months he fell into the groove. He had made friends at his new school. He was scoring well in the class tests and the mid-term tests that were being conducted as per schedule. From someone whose only connection with the internet was through his PUB G game, Vijayan could now search the internet to get answers to all his questions. He could convert images to pdf and could even upload it on his virtual Classroom! Like a pro, he could chat with friends while muting and unmuting his mic to answer questions from the teacher. Things were turning out to be great and Vijayan was looking forward to a great year.  

But at the end of the academic year, things changed! His school said that he could not get 80 for maths because two years back, in the best performing year of the school, no one had scored 80 in Maths! In English things were much more complex. The school had a child fail in English two years back. So this time it would have to be either Vijayan or his new best friend! Vijayan was so confused by this absurd twist. Why should he be compared to someone who studied and moved on with life 2 years ago! Why should he not get the full marks… if at all he answered all the questions correctly! 

He anyways decided to try his luck. Vijayan felt like a real warrior. Wielding his sword through a field of unknown marks, trying to match someone he did not even know! 

The New Beginning 

Dasan went on to join for a degree in engineering, with the basket full of A plus that he carved out of the 160! 

Vijayan’s engineering dreams were shattered by some unwitting child who so happened to study in his school two years back! 

The government and its departments bragged about the level playing fields it had created! 

Schools across the world celebrated the fantastic work they had done in keeping the learning gaps minimal and more so about being able to complete ‘the syllabus’! 

And in all this excitement and anxiety, every single person missed one nasty little smirk! The Smirk of the virus! 

Asatoma Sadgamaya; Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya 

From ignorance, lead me to truth; From darkness, lead me to light

End Notes: 

In the SSLC exams 2021, the children were allowed to answer all the questions (for double the marks to be actually awarded). The number of students who secured A+ in all subjects also touched a high this year: 1,21,318, up by a whopping 79,412 from that last year. 

CBSE came up with a Tabulation Policy which restricted the individual school overall result to the best average of the past 3 years.  This was to be also matched subject wise with a margin of around 2%.

Students from both syllabus now look out for admissions, in a system heavily biased towards the marks awarded to them.

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