The decision to waive off IIT-JEE and AIEEE and introduce a single entrance test in its place has received different responses from the different stakeholders.
Schools and colleges are by and large happy as they feel that students will now pay attention to classes and focus on board exams too. The proposed new policy is being hailed as it will also check the mushrooming business of coaching institutes that charge hefty fees for training students to crack IIT-JEE.
As of now, their hold on students is very strong but what they teach does not help build concepts but promotes rote learning. The students are just taught with the motive of cracking the exam and getting a seat in the IITs or other premier colleges and institutes. To make matters worse some schools have also tied up with these coaching institutes. It is expected that the new policy will put an end to this harmful practice too.
Parents, no doubt, are in the same league. Coughing up money for the coaching institutes and entrance tests will now be not so compulsory for them. The students are elated too but they are also voicing their concerns. Those who have already taken admission in the coaching institutes are of the opinion that the new format should be introduced from 2014. But the overall majority has welcomed the step as it will reduce stress.
Meanwhile, coaching institutes say that it will not affect their presence much. According to them, they will alter their teaching modules as per the new format. Moreover, they feel that students will still need coachings as board marks matter in the new format and to perform well here one needs assistance.
Academicians are hopeful about the prospect the new single test presents because it will evaluate the aptitude of the students thereby, bringing more quality to the IITs. In recent times, concerns had been raised over the falling standards of students at these leading technical institutes of learning.