BENGALURU: With just one paper of their board examination pending, and fake news bombarding mobiles, students answering various competitive examinations are facing an uncertain future. “There is no clarity on the schedule of examinations. We have started relying only on information from our teachers now. Some portals make claims about board examinations, only to retract them later,” said a student from a prestigious university in Bengaluru.
“Parents too have expressed concern about how the future will pan out, as board examinations are always completed before the competitive examinations. Faculty members are available on call for students to clarify their doubts. There is a WhatsApp group to help students prepare, and several are taking mock tests online. The college is working on free coaching mechanism,” said Roopa S, a lecturer at St Aloysius College.
Students preparing for entrance examinations for engineering are dissatisfied with the online coaching provided by the state government for CET, through their online portal. “We are taught one method in class, and there is a shortcut formula taught in the online class. There is no explanation of how the formula is derived, a method we learn in school,” said Varun A, who is attempting CET.
“Online classes are no substitute for classroom teaching. The lockdown feels like a vacation. GetCetGo is a good initiative but there is no mechanism for clarifying doubts. The lockdown can be considered a good time to revise, not study per se,” said Monalisa R, a student attempting CET. Several of their peers, who depend on coaching classes, especially bridge courses before competitive examinations, have lost interest in appearing for the more competitive exams -- while some have decided to take up non-professional courses, others plan to appear for examinations where competition is low.
Online classes require us be on the internet and it’s easy to deviate, which is not an option in a classroom, said a student. Law aspirants were in a relatively comfortable state of mind. “We finished our portions in coaching classes before the lockdown. Online classes are being held to clarify doubts,” said Calvert N, from Christ University.
Minister lauds decision to delay NEET, JEE
Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, in a video conference with Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Tuesday, welcomed the decision to postpone NEET and JEE. Pokhriyal held a conference with state education ministers. Kumar told Pokhriyal that Karnataka hopes to hold the last paper of second-year PU examination once normalcy returns.
He outlined Karnataka’s plans for the present and upcoming academic year and also sought the Centre’s help to provide tabs to “poor children” studying in government schools. “In the days to come, government students might have to go for online classes, hence, there is a need to provide them with tablets,” he later told the media. Meanwhile, altho-ugh 25 school days have been lost because classes were stopped from March 13, Kumar said as of now, Karnataka was not thinking of revising the academic calendar starting June 1. “If the lockdown is extended, we will have to rework the calendar,” he added.