Current Practices in Indian Education: Over-emphasis on Summative Assessment, Marking, and Competitive Examinations with Their Adverse Effects
1. Over-emphasis on Summative Assessment
In Indian schools, a lot of importance is given to summative assessment.
Summative assessment means testing students at the end of a term or year to give marks or grades, like final exams or board exams.
These assessments are often periodic (like quarterly exams) or common/high-stakes exams (like class 10 and 12 board exams, JEE, NEET).
Why this is a problem:
This type of assessment focuses mostly on final results and ignores the learning process.
Students study mainly to pass exams rather than to understand or enjoy learning.
Continuous and formative assessments (which help students improve during the course) get neglected.
Teachers also focus on “teaching to the test” rather than encouraging creativity or critical thinking.
2. Over-emphasis on Marking
Most Indian assessments rely on marks (numbers) rather than grades or descriptive feedback.
Marks create pressure on students to get high scores rather than learn deeply.
Problems caused by this:
Students become score-centered, meaning their main goal is to get marks, not knowledge.
This increases stress, anxiety, and fear of failure among students.
Many students memorize answers without real understanding just to get good marks.
3. Competitive Examinations
India has many competitive exams for admission to schools, colleges, and jobs (like JEE, NEET, UPSC, bank exams).
These exams are highly competitive with thousands of students competing for few seats.
Adverse effects on learners:
Students face extreme pressure from a young age to perform well in these exams.
Many students suffer from anxiety, depression, and health problems due to stress.
Creativity, curiosity, and enjoyment of learning take a back seat.
Some students even resort to unfair means like cheating.
Adverse effects on the education system:
Schools and coaching centers focus mainly on exam preparation rather than holistic education.
Teaching becomes mechanical and exam-oriented, ignoring skills like critical thinking, teamwork, or communication.
Many talented students who don’t perform well in exams lose opportunities.
Adverse effects on society:
The system encourages memorizing and rote learning instead of innovation.
It creates inequality because students from rich families can afford coaching while poor students cannot.
The pressure to succeed in exams sometimes leads to unethical behavior and mental health issues.
4. Need for Change
The Indian education system needs to balance formative and summative assessment.
Formative assessment (like quizzes, assignments, oral tests) helps students learn continuously and improve.
Less emphasis on marks and more on grades and feedback can reduce stress.
Competitive exams should be fairer and include skill-based questions, not only memory-based.
Schools should encourage creativity, problem-solving, and practical knowledge.
Conclusion
Currently, Indian education focuses too much on summative exams and marks, which creates unhealthy competition and stress among learners. This affects not only students but also the whole education system and society by promoting rote learning and inequality. To create a better future, India must move towards more balanced and student-friendly assessment practices that support learning and reduce pressure.
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