mere memory does everything
Fair is fowl and fowl is fair
that’s all ye know…
and all ye need to know…?
Speaking is a form of
writing with tongue,
and writing a form
of speaking with pen
as such won’t a test
on this with a demo class
really estimate the true
potential in a teacher aspirant
necessary for a student ?
But instead think of one, only
with multiple choice questions,
something that tests only memory.
Can mere recollection of memory
without something to test
research, analytical ability
and creativity out of a
brainstorming extempore
assess the quality?
We just buy books
that have scores of
multiple choice questions
prepared by “experts” and
just remember the types of
questions and answers
or memorize those from
old question papers,
commit the dates and
years of famous deaths
and births, wars and pandemics,
names of authors and
famous / notorious personalities,
instead of the creative potential
or “imagination …(that is)…
more important than knowledge.”
as Einstein says.
That’s enough and promising
to be “qualified” to teach
at any university,
assures the Government.
But can mere memory ascertain
that you can lecture
an hour on counter-terrorism
or counter-intelligence or the
imminent threat of AI or Robotics
to human existence or write
a phenomenal dissertation
on Einstein’s quote :
“Pure mathematics is,in its way,
the poetry of logical ideas”?
Can only reading and writing skills
include listening and speaking as well?
Today “National or State Eligibility Test”
has even become the most
glamorous post nominal
and a blaring promise of
a secure job, with fat perks
and a lifetime dignity.
A NET or SET-qualified beginner
moves from pillar to post
for a ghost writer for
a couple of Scopus Journal
publications and thesis
for his PhD that is
mandatory for promotion.
Indian Government considers National Eligibility Test (NET) or State Eligibility Test (SET) as a standard to teach in a university or college. This exam is just based only on multiple choice questions which are to be answered on a OMR sheet.
