Education is no more about getting knowledge. It is about getting an edge over others so that one gets more marks in exams and gets a head start over others in life, or so the students seem to believe. I thought it was an effect of the competitiveness of today's world. Today I heard something that made me think there were other reasons too for this deterioration.
"There was that mock viva for postgraduates" someone said conversationally. "The one conducted by the Ob Gyn Society."
There are local Ob Gyn societies in the country, which have their own elections, office bearers, policies and activities. One of the activities is to hold mock vivas for postgraduates, so that they get practice for their final exams. Examiners are invited from faculty of medical colleges and other important members of the Ob Gyn society. I had never seen any need for any mock vivas as a student nor as a teacher, because I believed that if one knew everything that was there to know, one could answer any question in exam. A mock viva could not improve on that performance in any way.
"Hmm ..." I said.
"I had finished my session as an examiner, and was sitting there, watching the proceedings. Then Professor XXX came as examiner, along with an Associate Professor from another institute. He/she said something right at the beginning, which upset me so much that I walked away in disgust."
"What did he/she say?" I asked. I knew Professor XXX and what he/she was capable of. I had not heard of anyone walking away in disgust after hearing this professor so far. Well, there is always a first of everything. I was curious to know what this one was.
"He/she said to the candidate 'see how shabbily you are dressed! Look at these other candidates. If you dress like this, how will you get good marks?'"
"Was the candidate a girl?" I asked. I smelled a sexist attitude in that statement.
"No. It was a boy. The issue is that this mock viva is an academic exercise. This sort of statement is not what one expects academically. How could he/she say so as the very first thing? This is the reason our academic residents get less marks in viva, while residents in lesser institutes get more marks. Such examiners make that happen." I knew our residents used to top in theory, while they did not get good marks in vivas, despite excellent clinical work. Each college conducted its own viva for the final postgraduate exams, and there was no uniformity or gold standard in assessment of students.
"When you put such people in such high positions, they come to believe they must be good having reached there, and then this sort of thing happens" I explained. "It is a curse of the system, and we have to live with it, because the system is made by no other than the people of our country."
"There was that mock viva for postgraduates" someone said conversationally. "The one conducted by the Ob Gyn Society."
There are local Ob Gyn societies in the country, which have their own elections, office bearers, policies and activities. One of the activities is to hold mock vivas for postgraduates, so that they get practice for their final exams. Examiners are invited from faculty of medical colleges and other important members of the Ob Gyn society. I had never seen any need for any mock vivas as a student nor as a teacher, because I believed that if one knew everything that was there to know, one could answer any question in exam. A mock viva could not improve on that performance in any way.
"Hmm ..." I said.
"I had finished my session as an examiner, and was sitting there, watching the proceedings. Then Professor XXX came as examiner, along with an Associate Professor from another institute. He/she said something right at the beginning, which upset me so much that I walked away in disgust."
"What did he/she say?" I asked. I knew Professor XXX and what he/she was capable of. I had not heard of anyone walking away in disgust after hearing this professor so far. Well, there is always a first of everything. I was curious to know what this one was.
"He/she said to the candidate 'see how shabbily you are dressed! Look at these other candidates. If you dress like this, how will you get good marks?'"
"Was the candidate a girl?" I asked. I smelled a sexist attitude in that statement.
"No. It was a boy. The issue is that this mock viva is an academic exercise. This sort of statement is not what one expects academically. How could he/she say so as the very first thing? This is the reason our academic residents get less marks in viva, while residents in lesser institutes get more marks. Such examiners make that happen." I knew our residents used to top in theory, while they did not get good marks in vivas, despite excellent clinical work. Each college conducted its own viva for the final postgraduate exams, and there was no uniformity or gold standard in assessment of students.
"When you put such people in such high positions, they come to believe they must be good having reached there, and then this sort of thing happens" I explained. "It is a curse of the system, and we have to live with it, because the system is made by no other than the people of our country."
