New Delhi, Dec 4: Congress MP Mannickam Tagore on Thursday sought a full review of medical entrance exam NEET, saying it has not encouraged merit but rather commercialised education by strengthening private run educational empires and weakening schools.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, the Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) MP said a committee set up by the Centre has found lapses in the coaching system in the country.
“There are reports that a central committee recommended about the conduct of JEE, NEET and CUET…the preparations begin as early as eleventh grade, the panel recommended to limit coaching hours to two to three hours, hold the exams twice a year and even shift to hybrid assessment using board exams,” he said.
Tagore termed the current practice a “flawed” policy with focus on only “single stakes exams” that benefitted only the rich, the coaching mafia and dummy schools.
“Government school children, rural students, first generation learners, students from SC, ST and OBC communities…all have been pushed out of opportunity not because of lack of talent but because they cannot afford lakhs of rupees on coaching. “The same committee report also highlights structural failures, syllabus gaps across boards, weak formative assessments, even teacher support and rise of dummy schools, these are not accidental,” he said.
Tagore asserted that the education minister must realise that NEET has not ensured meritocracy, it has commercialised education, it has strengthened private run educational empires, weakening schools.
“I demand a full review of NEET and its impact on equity. There should also be a roadmap to strengthen school education and urgent measures to end the coaching nexus,” he said.
The Ministry of Education had earlier this year set up a nine-member panel to examine issues relating to coaching and the emergence of “dummy schools” besides the effectiveness and fairness of entrance examinations.
Meanwhile, Sangli MP Vishaldada Prakashbabu Patil, raised the issue of pressures being faced by school children.
“A student of St Columba’s school died by suicide over harassment by teachers. An FIR has been filed but no arrest has been made. Student suicides have grown…I urge the government to intervene in the matter and get these people arrested. An example has to be set for teachers to be aware about the action they will face if they harass or hurt the students,” he said.
