Editor,
Apropos the article ” MBOSE question paper and critical thinking” (ST June 21, 2018) by Iwamon Laloo and Glenn Kharkongor, I agree with the writers that the question papers of MBOSE don’t give students the opportunity for creative and critical thinking as most of the questions are recall types which focus only on the knowledge of the students and their ability to learn by rote. Teaching is a goal- oriented activity which facilitates learning. Learning can be assessed by using appropriate assessment tools. Question papers are one such assessment tools which must be effective and efficient for the assessment of students in all the cognitive domains of learning. The questions must be valid, reliable and must have objectivity and usability. The Government of Meghalaya has taken a good step by prescribing NCERT text books for the HSSLC students of the state. However, it must organise some workshops for the school teachers to capacitate them on the manner of framing question papers after giving due importance to all the cognitive domains of learning starting from the lowest level of Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and most importantly Evaluation. Question paper is not just a random assemblage of questions but it’s a highly developed technique. So it should be framed in such a way that the low achievers can be differentiated from high achievers. In fact, not only in the Board exams but in school exams too the teachers must frame the questions in such a way that the students can apply their reasoning ability and application of the topic so that they are not forced to just memorize the topics. These days students score good percentages in their Board exams just by committing to memory the answers to the previous years’ question papers, but when it comes to questions which demands their reasoning and critical thinking ability then they fail miserably. This is because they have not been trained that way. They are just regarded as an information accepting machine and their thinking and reasoning ability has been disabled. Hence students must be given proper space and the opportunity right from the junior level to develop all the areas of the cognitive domains of learning.
Yours etc.,
Anil Singh Roka
Via email
CM’s official residence!
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I would like to highlight certain situations that should be made known to the public. It is already past three months that Mr. Conrad K Sangma has been Chief Minister of Meghalaya but I am saddened to learn that he is yet to occupy his official bungalow. When I tried visiting him on the 23rd June, I was really taken aback to learn that Dr Mukul Sangma is still occupying the CM’s Bungalow which is highly unethical considering the fact that Akhilesh Yadav had to vacate his residence as per Supreme Court ruling, which specifies that only two months is the permissible time limit that an ex-chief minister can occupy the official residence after he demits office. After seeing the location and situation of Mr Conrad K Sangma’s residence I must say proudly, that we have a Chief Minister who is too tolerant of the egoistic predecessor. It is highly unbecoming of Dr Mukul Sangma to hold on to something that he has no right over and especially when he has been allotted an alternative residence. Moreover it is a well known fact that he has a private residence at Nongrim Hills.
I pray that common sense will guide Dr Mukul Sangma to be a gentleman and not invite unnecessary application of law, which will not stand in his stead. The CM’s Bungalow is for the CM, not for anything else. I hope good sense prevails.
Yours etc,
Wallam Khongji,
Via email
Illegal sand mining
Editor,
I was appalled to read the report, “Tourists call for end to illegal sand mining at Nongkhnum,” (ST June 25, 2018). It is well known that the National Green Tribunal has banned sand mining due to its deleterious effects on river systems. The argument that Government has no say over private land is no longer tenable. Meghalaya cannot live with two sets of laws – one leaning on the Indian Constitution and another on the traditional governance systems. And it is a dereliction of duty of the district administration not to be able to take necessary action on such law breakers by using sections of the Environment Protection Act. Public good must always supersede private profit but this has been violated time and again in the state with Government being a mere spectator. It is incumbent upon conscious citizens to approach the law courts in such matters vide a public interest litigation. Let the judiciary push the apathetic executive to its duty according to the Constitution. It has been noticed that administrators tend to appease the powerful sand, coal and limestone mining mafia rather than protecting the interest of the larger population who are affected by such destructive practices. Leave alone the fact that Nongkhnum is one of the biggest river islands; the road leading to this tourist destination has been intentionally left dilapidated so that the sand mining lobby can operate with impunity. It is my observation that Meghalaya is a state where the rule of law has been rendered weak and vacillating because wrongdoers are never arrested. The least that the Deputy Commissioners past and present should have done is to take action against those violating the NGT ruling. Otherwise what are they sitting in office for?
Yours etc.,
RM Marwein,
Via email