Significance of Olympiads and Competitive Exams
NEP 2020 is considered a comprehensive modern-age educational policy that gives equal justice to every education dimension. It aims at creating a generation that isn’t just technologically aligned to meet global…
Overview
NEP 2020 is considered a comprehensive modern-age educational policy that gives equal justice to every education dimension. It aims at creating a generation that isn’t just technologically aligned to meet global demands but is self-driven, skilled, and responsible enough to make valuable contributions to society.
The NEP 2020 includes many widespread changes and modifications to the country’s educational system. One of the most crucial ones is the inclusion of Olympiads and competitive exams. NEP 2020 intends to hone the talent of students by encouraging participation in Olympiads and competitive exams. The general belief driving this change is that it will prepare students for higher-level competitive exams and augment the country’s talent base.
This blog highlights what NEP 2020 has to say about Olympiads and competitive exams. It also discusses the significance of these competitive assessment platforms and indicates the purpose and vision that encouraged the policy-makers to emphasize their inclusion in the education stream.
What does the NEP 2020 have to say about Olympiads and Competitive Exams?
NEP 2020 talks about competitive exams and Olympiads in the Support for Gifted Students / Students with Special Talents section. It emphasizes conducting Olympiads and competitions in various subjects and suggests clear coordination and progression from school to local to state and then finally to the national level to encourage and ensure participation of Indian students across all levels of the concerned competition.
It also intends to make focused efforts to help competitive contests reach every corner of the country and make these exams and competitions available in regional languages to drive rural participation. Besides, public and private universities, including leading institutions such as NITs and IITs, would be encouraged to use merit-oriented results from National and International Olympiads and other relevant national programs as a part of their selection criteria for their undergraduate programs.
Nevertheless, to achieve the above objectives, technology, and the internet must reach every corner and every home. Once the entire country gets access to technology, we can develop online quiz apps, assessments, competitions, enrichment content, and online communities for shared interests. Students can collaborate and indulge in group activities under their parents’ and teachers’ supervision.
Besides, schools will develop smart, technology-based classrooms to leverage digital pedagogy and enhance the teaching-learning process through online resources and comprehensive collaborations.
Why are Olympiads and Competitive Exams Crucial for Students?
In India, the Olympiad exams are conducted by SOF (Science Olympiad Foundation), a New Delhi-based non-profit organization. SOF conducts Olympiads to promote subjects such as mathematics, science, introductory computer education, general knowledge, and English. These exams are conducted for students from class 1 to 12. The six Olympiads conducted by SOF include,
International General Knowledge Olympiad (IGKO)
Now, speaking of competitive exams. Again, you’ve got a range of competitive exams conducted every year to select individuals and assess them across various subject matters and competencies. Some of the popular competitive exams include the following,
Maharashtra Common Entrance Test and many others
Now, let us talk about the significance and relevance of these exams in the modern context. We live in a competitive age wherein developing exceptional skills, talent, understanding, and encouraging the natural flair towards a particular subject matter a lot. However, in a lot of cases, these skills go unnoticed, thus restricting the individual to a specific capability or compelling him or her to choose something against their natural liking.
A bad or unfavorable beginning is likely to deliver an undesirable result. It results in less productive and less engaged professionals. Besides, the regular curriculum does not give such people the opportunity to learn something they like in detail and get a better and exceptional understanding of the subject of their choice.
At an individual level, it may not matter as much. But the nation indeed suffers on the productivity and results front. A lot of such people do not deliver results, and when such people are in millions, you cannot expect to create value from the talent you have and plan to make vital contributions to the nation’s progress.
Importance of Olympiads and Competitive Exams
It is here that Olympiads and competitive exams, encouraging students to participate in them and developing the necessary infrastructure, approach, and vision aligned with futuristic demands, come into the picture.
Olympiads, in particular, help to identify an individual’s capability and the real potential to deliver value from the talent or she holds. They encourage students to get a better and deeper understanding of a particular subject, develop analytical, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Besides, they also point out the areas where a particular student requires improvement to, in turn, help teachers, educators, and parents to work towards it.
The skills that students develop while preparing for Olympiads and competitive exams help the student in the long run. Such students remain focused on learners and become dedicated contributors. The problem-solving, analytical, and excellent reasoning skills they develop while studying for these examinations make them more productive and enable them to deliver better results than their average counterparts.
Through meticulous planning and execution of NEP 2020’s roadmap, India can achieve the vision and objectives governing the inclusion and encouragement of Olympiads and competitive exams in the Indian education system. It will help the country develop a competitive, productive, engaged, result-oriented, and happier generation, willing to undertake challenges and create innovative solutions to overcome them.
Some of the other prominent advantages of helping students prepare and participate in Olympiads and competitive exams include,
Prove a perfect platform to test a student’s conceptual understanding of a subject-matter
Provide national and international exposure to students, thereby boosting their confidence, enhancing their experience, and encouraging them to do better
Inculcate the importance of hard work and the in-depth study of something
Improve soft skills and develop the approach to study for career enhancement and not just passing examinations
Foster an improvement in the academic performance of the child by enhancing his or her grasping skills
Develop an approach to stay competitive and deliver the best at every cost
Conclusion
Proper execution of the NEP 2020 will undoubtedly bring results envisaged by the government. However, to do so, educators, especially schools, must step forward, develop synergies, and leverage the collective power of the educational ecosystem to execute every necessary recommendation of NEP 2020. Here, the objective must be to create a generation that is excellence-driven and not exam-oriented.
CITIS, one of the leading EduTech companies in India, works with several schools to help them implement various such programs, including Olympiads and competitive exams. CITIS’s team ensures end-to-end execution of various Olympiads and tech-based certification programs. It provides competence and helps the school to be a value creator and a better contributor to the country's education landscape. For more details, call CITIS at +91 20 2567 70 60.