Although this topic attracts a lot of buzz, it is seldom talked about from a school’s point of view. What should be the promotional criterion? On what grounds should students be allowed to move into the higher class? And what should be the leniency metric? When a student is held back in class, it does not mean that the school is trying to save its face by halting a weak link. The reason is solely student-oriented where the school feels that the student’s knowledge of that grade is incomplete and he/she will only struggle if forced into the next grade. Such clarifications must come to the forefront and the school’s strictness on promotional grounds needs reevaluation.
The performance metric of the modern world
The strictness of the schools comes into question when the evaluation system is solely marks-based. It is true that how well a student performs in an exam that tests all the unique minds with the same set of questions is truly not a proper metric to decide whether a student is fit for promotion. This is where the best CBSE schools in Sonepat will always bring in more parameters like participation in extra-curricular activities, different methods of evaluation, and marking systems during application-based learning. All these bring in some diversity into the school exams.
However, a student’s knowledge has to be quantified in some form or either. Even in this modern world of skill-based education, marks have to sit somewhere to test the depth of a student’s understanding. And this is why the minimum marks required for passing have been kept at a steady low limit for the past few years which indicates that a student has at least acquired some basic knowledge in that subject. The questions are also so formed that the passing marks are not that difficult to achieve. This method is indeed viable and must exist as a metric in the modern world.
The right level of strictness
So, how much strictness is too much strictness, or how much is too less? To form an understanding here, let us go by the CBSE standards and assume that the passing marks that every student has to achieve to clear a subject’s exam are 33 out of 100. Now, if a student has secured 20 out of 100 or any less, it is clear that he/she still lacks substantial knowledge in that subject of that grade and cannot take the complicated version on the next upcoming class. In such a scenario, it is indeed better for this student to sit for one more year and take his/her time to form a basic level of understanding.
However, if a student has just missed out, say he/she secured 28 or 30 out of 100, then it comes down to the school to decide whether the student can be allowed to move on to the next class. Here, often, most boarding schools in Sonipat will allow such a student to proceed given that just one subject saw such a down curve. But, if two or three subjects have a similar trend, then the student may be halted, especially if the boards are drawing near.
The level of strictness is actually subjective. It ultimately depends on the school and what it wants to achieve with its students. If educational depth and academic excellence are a priority at the school, the institution then is bound to have strict rules. However, if providing basic knowledge is the school’s motto, you will see a more lenient approach. Either way, a bit of strictness is always helpful for the students, given that the uniqueness of the classroom is taken into consideration, as it ultimately helps the students in their education.
Failure and the associated social stigma
The core reason why a school’s strictness on promotional grounds even comes into question is because of the social stigma associated with failure. When a student is held back, in the majority of the cases, he/she is met with shame. But if the school’s motive is to give this student some more time to form an understanding of the involved subjects, where is the disadvantage for the student? The purpose of schooling is to get educated. If the foundation is built on shaky grounds due to too much leniency, the student will suffer in the end.
And thus, it is all about balance for the top CBSE schools in Sonipat like the Swarnprastha Public School. SPS is particular about building its student’s academic base and is willing to provide them the time and space to learn their subjects. Promotion regulations are perfect here as education is always the priority in its classrooms. Decide where you want your child to be. Whether you want to rush him/her to finish schooling or let the school decide his/her educational understanding.
