EXPERIENCE at a school in Vaishali in Bihar made State Education Minister P.K. Shahi confess that the government could do little to stop mass copying at schools. Parents have to teach their children better. The evil is not confined to Bihar. Uttar Pradesh had it so badly that the state government had to bring in an anti-copying law in 1992. But the severity of the law was diluted a few years later. The roots of the evil lie in the structural flaws of the Indian education system. Its priorities are lopsided while teachers show poor capability. Because teacher recruitment and training had been neglected, the Nitish Kumar government launched a massive recruitment drive. But it was found that a large number of teachers recruited had produced forged certificates. It may sound unbelievable but according to the state HRD, over 8,000 teachers could not even pass a class V test. Bihar has since introduced a teacher entrance test but it will take time to be effective. Meanwhile, students get pass marks though they are not up to the standard.
The trouble is that emphasis is put on inputs rather than learning outcomes. Infrastructure at school buildings and teacher-pupil ratios get priority. Learning levels remain dismal and a steep decline has been noticed since the Right to Education Act was passed in 2009. Indian students fared miserably in an international assessment in 2011. It goes without saying that the stress should be on improved teaching, setting learning targets and better assessment. But will that eradicate cheating in examinations? Will children be taught that a good certificate, earned anyhow, is not a passport to success, to club good? What is needed is a healthy family environment.
