Editorial
Medical admission tests restored at last
Lessons should be learnt to avoid repetition
We welcome the government's revised decision to hold admission tests for students enrolling at medical and dental colleges this year as in past years. The fact that the change in the government's unthinking declaration comes in the face of a prolonged and at times violent agitation by students, however, sets a bad precedent.
Enrolment through admission tests is the normative process in our country's education system and, if this was to be changed, it should not have been done through a sudden announcement which took students by surprise. Thus, though the idea to base admission on combined GPA of SSC and HSC results may have been well-thought-out, it was not well-executed, resulting in the students erupting in agitation which could have been avoided.
On the other hand, the fact that the students went berserk, engaging in violence and vandalising property, is unacceptable. There are several means of peaceful protest and demand for rights which were obviously not the chosen option here. The worst message conveyed through the government's giving in to the students' demands at this extreme point, seems to be that violence and vandalism is the way to be heard and have demands met.
We are glad that this episode has ended and hope that there will not be a repetition of such a situation. The lesson to be learnt from all this is that we may have to change our way of doing things. The system cannot be changed at whim, and if it is to be changed for the better, enough thought and time must be given to the process in order to avoid a boomerang effect. The people on the receiving end, too, must give change a chance and not react unreasonably and violently, which ultimately results in public suffering and a high cost to society.
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