Teachable moments

News: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken a decision to hold the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions to all 45 centrally funded universities.

Issues that remain to be clarified:

CUET is expected to provide a level playing field to a great extent. However certain issues still remain to be clarified. Such as:

1. Handling of Supernumerary admissions such as through the quota for sports and extracurricular activities.
2. Role of Class XII board exams in the admission process. Whether the CUET supersedes them or some colleges will prescribe a minimum cut-off.
3. Disadvantage to state board exams as  the syllabus for the exam will be the prescribed Class XII National Council of Educational Research and Training curriculum.
4. Nature of exam: It must avoid the pitfall of following a set pattern of variable questions, eventually creating a set of standard Q&As that students merely have to learn by rote. This can also lead to mushrooming of coaching classes.
5. Divert attention from non-academic activities: The non-academic activities, which go towards offering a rounded education, may well fall by the wayside as students focus on cramming for the CUET, just as they do for the NEET and JEE.

Hence, CUET should focus on not perpetuating the limitations of the Indian education system.

Source: This post is created based on the article “Teachable moments” published in Business Standard on 24^th March 2022.