Did you pause to read the character certificate that you got with other papers when you said “good-bye” to school? Don't be alarmed. It most probably states that you are a person of impeccable/good/satisfactory character and the school has had no problem with you. It means no higher educational institution should refuse you admission on the basis of behaviour. All students get it. Without a second glance, you must have put it away.
What's the point of issuing it, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 4, 2015, addressing students across the country. Everyone, even those who end up in jail, have got it, he quipped. In a “ritualistic exercise,” you receive a routine piece of paper that is unreliable and adds no value. Then he declared: “I am working on bringing in a change in some rituals that schools follow. Character Certificates should be replaced with Aptitude Certificates (AC).”
The Prime Minister argued that aptitude certificates (more than the character certificates, I guess) would help students know what they are capable of. This knowledge would help them plan their future course of studies based on their temperament. He didn't say it, but who knows, it may even keep you out of jail.
He called it a “small change” in the school education system. But deciding the aptitude of a student needs work. First you need tools for a systematic, scientific assessment. You need a whole lot of data about the child. This must include counselling reports from a psychologist, conversation with parents, the child's academic records, achievement certificates, opinion of the child's classmates and teachers and the child's interests. Maybe that is the strength of this exercise. An aptitude test, done scientifically, recognises an often overlooked fact: No two children are alike and each child has unique capabilities. Allowed to blossom, they may pave the way for a future where a child is a happier and more fulfilled member of the society, as opposed to a computer keyboard-puncher dreaming of music lessons. It is on record that 80 per cent of students coming out of engineering colleges are unemployable. There is a huge gap between academics and industry. Aren't we talking a lot about skill development?
An aptitude test also establishes the child's right to pursue his/her passion and his/her right to (informed) choices. It releases the child from the need to fulfil the non-realised and realised dreams of parents. Such pressure from parents leaves children to think only of degrees and jobs, the prime minister said. He said he believed issuing aptitude certificates would create an environment where children would have the freedom to decide what to do.
So, how can the schools make aptitude certificates authentic, genuine and reliable as the child's future may depend on what it says? As per the initiative, every three months a software would be developed and questionnaire would be filled up by friends and parents on what unique talents the student has. Is he disciplined? Friendly? What does he do well? “This will help the student realise his potential and chart his future,” Mr. Modi said. The Prime Minister added he had asked the department (HRD Ministry) to award aptitude certificates and “it will happen in the coming days.”
I took the proposal to a group of Class XII students. “Great!” they shouted, before giving it deep thought. “Shouldn't there be one when we complete Class X?” they asked. “That will help us choose the ‘right’ subjects in higher-secondary.” Will the assessment be proper, will it show their real talents, they wondered. An aptitude certificate gives a broad picture of a student's capabilities, I said. Of course, if you have exceptional aptitude for music, dance or leadership, that should be noted. “I am a good speaker/debator,” said a student who argues non-stop in class. “How useful is that information in the AC?”
She had a point. In the digital, social-networking age, students exhibit diverse talents and extraordinary capabilities. Chennai floods revealed our youngsters' unquestionable talent for organising relief. With no previous experience, they managed to quickly put together resources to save lives and bring comfort to the affected. We have heard of young techies turning to farming, teaching, improving village economies by marketing local products. The documentaries (check storyloom) our young make win awards overseas.
If aptitude certificates manage to show such talents, then what? Are there enough courses in plus-two, in colleges, to nurture such aptitudes? Can a student take up photography/textile designing/website-creation/horticulture/animation/circus as main subjects in plus-two, go on to major in those and pursue a career he loves? Will curriculum in schools and colleges be broadened to include as many subjects that nurture skills as possible? Why should there be a separate skill development exercise? Why can't colleges award degrees in embroidery, carpentry, social-forestry, weaving, brass-statue-making, plumbing, marry technology and marketing to a whole range of traditional arts?
“If we are not ready to accept this shift in higher education, the AC will lead to heartbreak,” the students said. Yes, said the class clown, “I am very good at juggling — time, objects, excuses — will the aptitude certificate show it?”
