Educationalists have expressed their concern over a move by MBOSE to allow students to pass their matriculation exams even if they fail in either maths or science.
According to MBOSE rules in 2016, a student sitting the SSLC exams must clear five out of the six subjects. The student will have passed if he/she meets this criterion, even if the failed subject is maths or science.
Earlier, students had to pass both these subjects. Now the only compulsory subjects are English and Modern Indian Language (MIL).
St Edmund’s College professors are deeply unhappy about this shortcut to success.
Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the college’s centenary celebrations, St Edmund’s Principal Sylvanus Lamare said that this is one of the biggest mistakes that the Education Department has made.
One good aspect, however, has been the growth in teaching in vernacular languages at school, which is a facet of the National Education Policy 2020.
“People have to be made aware that it is important to study science and maths,” he added. “Most students who study mathematics and physics in our college are students from villages and they excel in maths. Most of these students were taught by teachers who are not fluent in English since these teachers are from Bihar or Madhya Pradesh, so they learnt the local Khasi language and taught science and maths in Khasi to the students.”
Also supporting the NEP, Lamare said that the college has seen students understanding a subject like science and maths when taught in their mother tongue.
“Studying the subject in your mother tongue really helps, especially in the field of science, to get the basic concept,” he explained.
The management, however, has found that students drop out not because they fear social science but because they fear maths and science, which is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately.
“We are looking at that area and we hope that the state govt will collaborate with us in tackling maths in the simplest way,” Lamare said.
Meanwhile, Secretary of St Edmund’s College, Bro Simon Coelho, said that the Mathematics Department is the most sought after department at the college. And although talks are still at an early stage, the Marino Institute of Education in Ireland is keen to tie up with St Edmund’s to help in teacher training in rural setups, with the college wanting to begin right at the beginning – primary classes.
“If the basics are correct, since we know the 3-8 age group is the most critical, be it maths or science or logical thinking, all of these aspects have to be taken into consideration in this age group,” he said. “We have to look at what the future of Meghalaya is. If mathematics is strengthened, it will take us far.”
Lamare also mentioned that the late Archbishop of Shillong, Dominic Jala, wanted the government to revoke this policy where maths and science were not compulsory to pass.
“Anything you do you require maths, so we hope the government will think about making maths compulsory for passing. If that is done, it will help our society greatly. We need to see the importance of certain subjects in imparting education,” Lamare added.
