This is ironic, for it means that students’ academic performance is not truly indicative of their critical abilities. Should not the assessment structure in board examinations be closely scrutinized and the checks and balances reviewed? This pattern of rewarding superficial learning was also found to be mirrored in institutions of higher learning, thereby turning it into a vicious cycle. Discouraging critical thinking in young people is, however, beneficial for the majoritarian forces in the political establishment; it makes their task of rewriting history and crippling higher education much easier. In order to stem the rot, the problem must be tackled at its root: the nurturing and evaluation of students’ critical faculties must begin at the primary level.

Source: The Telegraph May 07, 2019 04:07 UTC