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Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

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Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#31

Post by saketuec »

gingabriska wrote: post #20
pm90 wrote: post #6

Unpopular opinion: this is not the way engineering should be taught, to ace a stupid test. I understand these are economically underprivileged kids and I wish them best, but I would really love it if someone followed up on where they end up after graduation. I’m hoping that as the economy develops further, the need to go to such extremes will diminish and folks can pursue their true calling.

Taxpayer money shouldn't be spent in funding such competition. While education systems in west are focused towards collaboration, Indian education system makes them compete against each other like wild dogs. When will India understand, it's not about competition but collaboration. We can argue this system creates very few winners and a lot of people feel like losers in this system. If they made them feel better, they…

> While education systems in west are focused towards collaboration, Indian education system makes them compete against each other like wild dogs.

P.S.: the "competition" is just for entrance to these premier Indian colleges. I guess, the same would hold true if you want to enter prestigious U.S. colleges like Stanford, Harvard, Yale, or any other Ivy League colleges. Of course, in India, the number of students applying is vastly different, which is what makes it super competitive.

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#32

Post by lake99 »

iamshs wrote: post #7
pm90 wrote: post #6

Unpopular opinion: this is not the way engineering should be taught, to ace a stupid test. I understand these are economically underprivileged kids and I wish them best, but I would really love it if someone followed up on where they end up after graduation. I’m hoping that as the economy develops further, the need to go to such extremes will diminish and folks can pursue their true calling.

Agreed, that test eats up years of childhood. Considering that nearly 100K students give the exam, what criteria will work best to select 5K students for available seats?

No criteria. I think the problem is with the low number of seats available. A similar quality of education can be made available at a much larger scale if the country is so motivated. It's understandable that not all branches of engineering at other universities can acquire the kind of funding that IITs have. Apart from some specialized lab equipment, there is no technical reason all universities can't offer a comparable quality of education all over India. There are only bureaucratic reasons.

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#33

Post by moate »

pushtheenvelope wrote: post #27
andrepd wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>While education systems in west are focused towards collaboration Citation needed. Capitalism is basically "free for all competition" in a nutshell.

that's a cynical view. Capitalism is the freedom to buy and sell from whoever you choose. If what you choose to sell is something so unique, you'll escape competition.

Oh no, if you want the cynical view of capitalism it's that the already rich create a rigged system in which they are able to exert disproportionate influence on the government and regulators that affect their ability to create and preserve their own wealth. They then use this influence to push weaker competitors out of the marketplace, eventually creating a single monopoly on an industry. Allowed to go to its conclusion, you replace political empires with financial rule.

That's just the short version. "free for all" is actually the optimistic view in my opinion. At least in a "free for all" metaphor you have the assumption of equal standing and "the strongest" winning.

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#34

Post by drieddust »

gingabriska wrote: post #20
pm90 wrote: post #6

Unpopular opinion: this is not the way engineering should be taught, to ace a stupid test. I understand these are economically underprivileged kids and I wish them best, but I would really love it if someone followed up on where they end up after graduation. I’m hoping that as the economy develops further, the need to go to such extremes will diminish and folks can pursue their true calling.

Taxpayer money shouldn't be spent in funding such competition. While education systems in west are focused towards collaboration, Indian education system makes them compete against each other like wild dogs. When will India understand, it's not about competition but collaboration. We can argue this system creates very few winners and a lot of people feel like losers in this system. If they made them feel better, they…

In my opinion that's what also happens with entry to top class institutions like Stanford, MIT, Caltech etc.

Competition for better schooling is everywhere weather it is for the Grammar Schools of the UK or Gymnasium School of Germany. I have seen parents preparing their kids for Grammar School right after they leave Kindergarden age.

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#35

Post by strikelaserclaw »

Indian education system is completely messed up. It destroys any trace of passion, curiosity, or thinking different. What the world needs more of isn't competent bureaucrats (which IIT produces a lot of), it is people who are creative, passionate, and courageous. I hope to god we never import the Asian exam mentality to the us.

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#37

Post by throwaway_45 »

formatkaka wrote: post #30

IITians are demi gods in India. This status puts a lot of pressure on student at a young age to crack this entrance. So much so, that there are regular cases of students committing suicide due to the pressure from society and family. For many who don't know, there are coaching classes where preparation for the exam is begun as early as the 5th or 6th grade. It took me 2 years to get over the failure of not getting in…

For a lot of kids its the only way out of the hood. Especially these kids in super 30. If they don't make it its back to poverty. If they get in they have the ability change their entire families socioeconomic status including parents and siblings. Its like pro athletes or rappers trying to get out of the hood. Its hard to do.

To a lot of kids it is a life or death situation.

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#38

Post by formatkaka »

throwaway_45 wrote: post #37
formatkaka wrote: post #30

IITians are demi gods in India. This status puts a lot of pressure on student at a young age to crack this entrance. So much so, that there are regular cases of students committing suicide due to the pressure from society and family. For many who don't know, there are coaching classes where preparation for the exam is begun as early as the 5th or 6th grade. It took me 2 years to get over the failure of not getting in…

For a lot of kids its the only way out of the hood. Especially these kids in super 30. If they don't make it its back to poverty. If they get in they have the ability change their entire families socioeconomic status including parents and siblings. Its like pro athletes or rappers trying to get out of the hood. Its hard to do. To a lot of kids it is a life or death situation.

That is really sad if true.

It's ok to say that cracking the entrance exam is going to give them a great platform on which they can build their future.

But telling a 16 year old to clear it believing it's a matter of life and death . That has to be one of the biggest failure of the parents/society/educational system.

I really hope that Internet education reaches a stage where no one has to face such a situation. Being one of those failed students, I would like to tell any one who is trying to clear the exam and reading this. Try your best, it's ok if you don't clear. If you persist and keep working hard with whatever you have, you will do wonders.(Ignore people who say otherwise).

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#39

Post by alkhatib »

throwawaysea wrote: post #14
tantalor wrote: post #2

> I know you have watched Super 30, the movie, so have I Wow, a lead that just begs the reader to stop.

It is written for an Indian audience, presumably. Would you expect all articles to be written generically or to your cultural tastes?

No, but the article could use a two sentence explanation of what is "Super 30"

Re: Understanding Bihar’s Super 30 Phenomenon

#40

Post by inimino »

strikelaserclaw wrote: post #35

Indian education system is completely messed up. It destroys any trace of passion, curiosity, or thinking different. What the world needs more of isn't competent bureaucrats (which IIT produces a lot of), it is people who are creative, passionate, and courageous. I hope to god we never import the Asian exam mentality to the us.

Unfortunately we already are. See SAT prep schools and test prep industry in general in the US and abroad for an example.
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