The latest debate around education in India seems to be about the merits and demerits of abolishing school board examinations.In a nation where over 100 million children are in elementary schools holding a card which says 53 percent of grade 5 don't have grade 2 competency :abolishing or having examination probably makes no difference.
I believe, examinations are part and parcel of our daily life.Even the poorest children take exams every other day.Their exams are often about choices they have to make.Like ,to attend school or to go for work.Their daily examinations are tougher.Take the case of Lomeshwari in Kanker,Chhattisgarh.She had to choose between a .303rifle and an HB pencil;the choice to join the maoists in adjoining Dantewada villages or to be "Nanhi Kali" of educate your girl child project of an NGO.And she choose latter.This means she had to also choose to live with her illiterate grandparents and not parents who are migrant,casual ,unskilled labourers.This led to the frail 11year old Lomeshwari getting for herself a rank amongst the top 5 in district's grade 5 board examination .
Let us ,therefore ,ignore the brouhaha on examinations and examine the plight of rural and tribal children who may be a servant in our vicinity with no affordable school to opt for .Their daily 'Exams' are toughter.I dare say tougher than tests that even President Barack Obama have to appear for in the White House.
