It?s that time of the year again. Exams! The nightmare of pupils, their parents and, last but not least, teachers! ?When I was still a cardiologist, every year, during the month of September and October, I witnessed a significant rise of teachers and parents coming to my office complaining about chest pains. Very often, it was nothing very serious, just anxiety?, jokes, the new minister of Education, Vasant Bunwaree.

A Standard VI teacher testifies. ?Every year it?s the same thing. Expectations are high. I sometimes feel like an athlete, or better, the coach of an athlete competing for the Olympics. It is a very stressful period for us, teachers.? And since the setting up of national colleges, that admits only the best pupils on a national basis, things have got even worse. ?It has reintroduced a strong competition in our schools. Every parent wants his child to access one of those establishments. So, they put a lot of pressure on their children and on us.?

After all that everybody has put in during the school year, this is crunch time. And a lot of questions arise. A lot of suspicions too! Did the teacher prepare his class sufficiently? Have they been exhaustive in their revision? Did the teacher really do everything that was humanly possible to ensure his pupils come out of the exams with the grades that they deserve?

?Decades ago, we had but a few state colleges. Today, there are 70 of them. Yet, competition has become harder. It?s absurd.?

The question is: how much can the teacher do for his pupils? ?The only thing we can do is to accompany them the best we can. It is our role to give them the materials, the knowledge and the understanding. We also have to ensure they actually understand what we are supposed to teach. But, on the other hand, it?s impossible for us to learn it for them. That last mile, it?s up to them to walk it alone?, explains this English teacher of an Upper Wilhems government primary school.

The dramatic side of the story is that teachers are the first too be blamed when children don?t do as well as parents expected them to do. Besides, expectations change according to the school environment. Parents from a star school and parents from one of the 30 schools situated in the Zones d?éducation prioritaire (ZEP) won?t have the same anticipation.

Demands are quite different. Whereas a parent from a ZEP school hopes his child will not to be amongst one of the 35% of students who fail at CPE level, the one whose child goes to a star school expects him/her to qualify for at least a star school ? Royal College of Curepipe if he?s a boy ? or Queen Elizabeth College if she?s a girl. ?At a school like mine, you have to fight for every mark. Even before proclamation, you already know that a big part of your class is going to fail. It really is hard for us. Emotionally and professionally that is?, says this ZEP teacher.

And what happens to children whose parents just don?t care about their education?

Teachers also complain about the tough competition at CPE level. Last Sunday, at the Teachers? Day celebrations held by the Teachers? Club at El Monaco, in Quatre-Bornes, one of its founding members asked the minister of Education to take away some pressure from the exams. ?We should work towards a reasonable competitive system. What we?re doing right now is not in favour of the global development of the child. We cannot continue to put so much emphasis only on the academic side of education?, said Ashik Junglee. ?Decades ago, we had but a few state colleges. Today, there are almost 70 of them. Yet, competition has become much harder. It?s absurd. It doesn?t make any sense.?

In his reply speech, minister Bunwaree admitted it was high time to put heads together and find a way to alleviate stress from the end of primary school exams. ?Should we do away with CPE? Should we replace it by an exam at Form III, IV or V level? I would like to raise those issues after the publication of our action plan.? Vasant Bunwaree?s action plan could be released as soon as next week for consultations.

THE TIME HAS COME...

■ The CPE exams will last from 21st until 24th October. Practical papers have already started for the School Certificate and Higher School Certificate. Some 60,000 students will be involved in these final exams that should be on until the end of November.