The government may allow arts and commerce students in class XII to opt for science subjects when they move to degree college. DNA questions the merits.
Parents push wards to take science
This move will make the education system flexible. With so many optionsavailable to students, they are bound to select some career stream. It also shows how unsure students are about their prospects. At the same time, although there is a great demand for the arts stream, parents are keen that their children pursue medicine or engineering. This attitude must change.
—Sahil Mehta
Ensure knowledge has job value
The option for switching from arts to science isn’t really beneficial to my ward. This is another measure devised to create confusion among students. If the students have decided to choose a stream, we must let them focus on their subjects. Already there are lot of options which divert students. Instead the government should ensure that whatever the students choose will help them secure a job.
—Prem Menon
Expert view
It’s a fantastic move considering that students are expected to make choices too early in life. How can a student, who has just passed out of school, decide which stream will hold interest for the rest of his life? Children follow their peer group or family’s decision while choosing a stream. A class X student is too young to decide about the academic stream. They don’t have much knowledge about job opportunities available. I know many students who after completing their graduation have regretted their decision of opting for a certain stream. Also, till few years ago, a commerce graduate couldn’t do a Bachelor’s degree in Education (B.Ed). This rule was changed around two years ago.
—Kavita Anand, educationist
(As told to Meghna Sharma)
It will give fair chance to all
Many families pressurise their children to take up science, as they feel the stream has more opportunities than arts. Students scoring well in class X or XII, somehow end up taking science. This attitude is wrong. I have seen cases where students end up in depression because of opting for subjects that don't interest them.
—Neha Patel, counsellor
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