Versus OMR Sheet: A Revolutionary 'Masterstroke' by the Education Board!
Congratulations! The Himachal Pradesh Education Board has pulled off a remarkable miracle this time—introducing the OMR sheet for objective questions in board exams.
And not just anywhere, but right on the first page, where students were traditionally used to filling in their roll numbers and other mundane details. But well, times change, and so do exam patterns!
Now, let’s be clear—experiments are not inherently bad. After all, the first people who floated logs on water unknowingly paved the way for modern aircraft!
But before implementing any change, shouldn’t there be a discussion on its pros and cons? Were education experts consulted? Were teacher associations asked for their opinions? No idea. And perhaps, neither do they! Their current status is akin to that of a security guard posted at the door, but never allowed inside.
But what's the point of asking questions now? The decision has already been made! And if there's one thing we know about government decisions in Himachal, it's that once they’re set in stone, even chiseling them out requires another government approval!
Now, let's decode the brilliance behind this OMR sheet—students must mark their answers with absolute precision.
If a student, in a moment of confusion, fills the wrong bubble and then suddenly remembers the correct answer—too bad! There’s no erasing, no correction. One mistake, and you’re doomed for life!
Honestly, this move seems to be inspired by the growing obsession with JEE and NEET-style exams. Because, let’s face it, education these days is increasingly becoming a coaching center monopoly. If the top officials of the board could kindly explain the actual rationale behind this change, that would be great. But as of now, it just looks utterly pointless.
Now, let’s talk about the fundamental difference between school education and competitive exams. Schools are meant to teach concepts, foster curiosity, and encourage research for the betterment of society.
Meanwhile, JEE and NEET are nothing but elimination rounds—1000 students competing for 100 seats, meaning 900 of them must be thrown out.
And ironically, we still call them entrance exams when, in reality, they are exit exams!
And to make that elimination process smoother, we have multiple-choice questions (MCQs). They create confusion, encourage guesswork, and only touch upon a fraction of a subject. Understanding?
Critical thinking? Forget it! And let’s not even get started on how easy MCQs are to cheat on!
Now, let’s be fair—there is one advantage of the OMR sheet. It will certainly help those rare teachers who don’t bother to teach all year but magically show up on exam day to help students with their answer keys and secure a 100% pass rate. Well played, board!
But jokes aside, let’s not forget that JEE and NEET scores don’t belong to the student—they exist only to show how many others they have defeated.
But board exam marks? They stay with a student forever, etched on their certificates, proving their academic excellence.
That’s why there should be nothing in board exams that deprives a student of the chance to correct their mistakes.
And let’s also remember—simply introducing something new in education doesn’t always mean progress. Sometimes, the so-called ‘new’ can actually be downright ridiculous!
