PASS FAIL or REPEAT

In a recent development NCERT has suggested to do away with result system in terms of "PASS/FAIL" and switch to a grading system.

The national focus group of NCERT includes eminent educationists, directors from IITs, IIMs, and various education research institutions, so it will be blasphemous of me to challenge its findings. If they think calling a failure REPEAT is better than FAIL then it must be.

And if it saves life of a 10 year old kid I will surely support this move.

I just have one point.

No kid comes to this life knowing meaning of PASS, FAIL or REPEAT. When I was born only sound that could come out of my mouth was that of crying. It took me at least 3-4 years to properly speak meaningful sentences. And this was the time that I learnt the words PASS, FAIL and REPEAT. I went to my playschool coz all my friends went there. All those chunnu munnu billu from my neighborhood were going to playschools, so did I. I went to Kindergarten coz all the kids of my age were going there. And it went on like this.

Initially it was fun. Go there and play. There were so many like me there. All crying, playing and enjoying. But then studies came into picture. Teacher aunty said, "A for Apple", I said "A for Apple". She said, "B for Ball." And I said so. And thus I started learning. Alphabets and then numbers, words, poems, songs and it just went on.

When did I learn word FAIL or PASS, I don't remember now. But I clearly remember one thing. A PASS meant that I could continue going to school with my best friend pappu while a FAIL will result in we not going together. This was it. To be with them or not to be with them. That's all. But that meant a lot to me. And I am sure this is the same with all the kids in those age.

Its my parents, my friend's parents and teachers that were concerned with some other meaning of PASS or FAIL. They would boast to their friends that I had PASSED with some good marks or something like that. It was as if they were more concerned with PASS or FAIL. For me it was all about being with pappu. He was my best friend you know.

And then I kept studying till I came to know of importance of PASSing or FAILing. One year, pappu FAILed in exam and he was left behind. I got admission in good school. What happened with him I never came to know. They engraved it my mind that I was successful and he was a failure. And from that time, I became like my parents. PASS and FAIL changed their meaning for me.

Where did the system went wrong. Or did it actually went wrong?
Was I correct then or am I correct now?
I think with the kind of education system we have setup, PASS and FAIL will always have meaning like they have it now for everyone. Call it Repeat or Fail, nothing is going to change.
The change is required at some more basic level. Where exactly, that we all know. How exactly, that all of us have to figure out.

It will take at least two generations [my parents and mine] to finish before we can come out of this PASS/FAIL mode. But it might be worth it.

But for now, lets hope REPEAT will save some lives.