Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu declared on February 2024, that the abolition of the ranking system in both the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examination and Higher Secondary (HS) Examination, would be applied starting from the upcoming academic year.
ALSO READ: Science Losing Its Charm For AHSEC Students?
Minister Pegu stated that the existing ranking system holds minimal practical value concerning employment opportunities. He emphasised, "The ranking system in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Higher Secondary (HS) examinations is irrelevant," highlighting that possessing a certificate of rank does not guarantee employment prospects.
On May 9, the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) has announced the class 12 results at 9 AM.
Over 2 lakh students sat for the class 12 examination across 876 centres in Assam.
GPlus went on ground to gauge the sentiments of students and educators, revealing a spectrum of opinions.
Talking to GPlus, a student from KC Das College reflected, "I feel there was a culture and it was a craze. If you see the college today, it's quiet, but there used to be a craze. Now, there won’t be any superiority complex; students will be treated equally. They won’t feel that I couldn’t get that position, so it’s good also. Everything has a positive and a negative vibe. It's not that this has a negative vibe, just that the college is not getting highlighted or the student is not getting highlighted. At least, they won’t be pressured for their future, thinking since I have already topped now, will I ever be able to keep up with the expectations in the future? There’s pressure on them. Now everybody will be treated equally, and they will be judged according to their marks, according to their capability, so that’s a very great thing.”
However, contrasting opinions emerged from the corridors of Assam Jatiya Vidyalaya School, as a teacher talking to GPlus said, "Sometimes I think ranking is required. I was a rank holder myself, so I definitely miss it. We were always curious, so it was nice to know who got what rank. But when we look at the negative side of it, where the students become disheartened and upset over who got what rank and who didn’t, it’s good that now this is not happening.”
Another student from K.C Das Commerce College talking to GPlus said, "It's getting into the new similarities between the Central Board of Education, which I studied from, so I think the change is not exactly bad. Everything has a good and bad side. Like my senior said, the craze is not as much as it used to be earlier."
Ghanashyam Medhi, the principal of Assam Jatiya Vidyalaya, offered a nuanced perspective, stating, "I like this change because when we look at all these past years with the ranking system, I have seen that 1-2 institutions get the rankings. Sometimes studious students are present in such institutions, due to which they come under the limelight. It is then projected like those institutions are better than the others which don’t have rank holders. A picture like that can be seen drawn in front of us."
Continuing the discussion, Medhi added, "Only the schools that have rank holders are highlighted, as if only those schools are good and the rest are not as good. That is the way the schools are shown, but there are a lot of schools where even though there are no rank holders, the overall results of the students are really good. A lot of students get first division as well as distinction, and some of them get Letters too. These schools get deprived."
Amidst the varied opinions, a student from K.C Das Commerce College argued, "It should not be removed because when there is a ranking system, there is competition. There will be competition between the students so I think the ranking system should be there as it is good for the students."
Dawar Pratim Deka, a student of Gauhati Commerce College talking to GPlus said, "With the removal of the old ranking system, I feel like it is a good decision that has been made by the government. We have seen many instances where students take very harsh steps on themselves due to some exam pressures and results. I feel that ranking isn’t necessary to evaluate a student as studies is not the only factor that helps to know a student. I have seen many people who used to get a 3rd division in higher secondary but have cleared APSC and are working now as ACS. This ranking system used to create a distance or barrier between two groups of students which isn’t good for society as everyone is equal to one another and the factor of result shouldn’t create a barrier or disparities between the students."
The abolition of the ranking system has sparked a robust discourse among students, educators, and stakeholders, underscoring the diverse perspectives and nuanced considerations surrounding educational evaluation and its implications for students' well-being and societal norms. As Assam embarks on this educational reform journey, it remains to be seen how the absence of ranks will shape the academic landscape and foster a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.
