Nervous parents queuing outside - some chanting prayers, others biting their fingernails, waiting as their children exit the room in a steady stream. There is a mix of emotions, ranging from the morose to the ecstatic, the deluge of tears to the jubilant dance. Joy. Sorrow. Anger. But most importantly, hope.
Though a sight eerily similar to the one outside any competitive exam in India, this isn't essentially one of those. This time the whole nation is watching. And these kids are competing to become the next big singer/ dancer/ movie star.
Now, I am an unabashed fan of talent shows as simply viewing people pushing themselves, and pushing the limits of human excellence, excites me like nothing else. It is, of course, infinitely mind boggling with kids - confidently facing the heat from the likes of Simon Cowell or bravely facing the train wreck that is whatever Anu Malik says.
Though, it is fascinating to see the passion some of these kids have towards the art they are pursuing, at times, one is led to believe that a large number of them are living the unfulfilled dreams of their parents. It is not uncommon to see kids and parents break down, either on failure or describing how they went through hardships. It is remarkable how the stories of hardships get maximum footage while the display of skill flashes in small spurts. Misery sells. And how.
With their proliferation across the smorgasbord of channels, talent (and game) shows have become the new means for upward social mobility. Academic distinction in certain exams has, since long, been the way to uplift one's social status. This is especially true of developing economies which have tasted the fruits of advancement but suffer from huge disparity within sections of society, separated by intangible yet very rigid boundaries of caste and ancestral wealth. The JEE for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology was (and to a lesser extent is) one such exam. While the aristocrats in the newly formed India could afford to send their children overseas for higher education, for the teeming middle class, the institutes provided a passport for the new dawn Panditji had promised at the fateful stroke of the midnight hour.
Our not-so-friendly neighbour China has a (surprisingly) far more draconian form called the gaokao. Ghastly images of sleepless, ill-fed aspirants, rummaging through huge tomes, residing in decrepit buildings have, from time to time, surfaced on the internet. This is after some of the parents have spent their life earnings in getting them the necessary training - offering us a preview of how critical that one selection could be for them and, possible, their generations to come.
These tests are purported to be the greatest leveller. Because, merit is the sole criterion.
Higher education tests in the US, present a significant contrast. While the state has been successful with secondary education, the university system is still dominated by private schools. These private schools increasingly favour candidates who can pay the entire fee for the course. Even the 'well-rounded' standardised tests with their emphasis on vocabulary and writing inherently carry a bias for a upper class upbringing. Standardization of tests, as is largely seen in systems like that of the US, promotes an inherent bias in testing.
Our not-so-friendly neighbour China has a (surprisingly) far more draconian form called the gaokao. Ghastly images of sleepless, ill-fed aspirants, rummaging through huge tomes, residing in decrepit buildings have, from time to time, surfaced on the internet. This is after some of the parents have spent their life earnings in getting them the necessary training - offering us a preview of how critical that one selection could be for them and, possible, their generations to come.
These tests are purported to be the greatest leveller. Because, merit is the sole criterion.
Higher education tests in the US, present a significant contrast. While the state has been successful with secondary education, the university system is still dominated by private schools. These private schools increasingly favour candidates who can pay the entire fee for the course. Even the 'well-rounded' standardised tests with their emphasis on vocabulary and writing inherently carry a bias for a upper class upbringing. Standardization of tests, as is largely seen in systems like that of the US, promotes an inherent bias in testing.
It is fascinating to see how societies evolve. How the privileged become the privileged, then erect barriers for outsiders, and how the oppressed find newer means of breaking through the glass ceiling and challenge the status quo again.
Education and talent will always remain powerful tools for the ones left behind to break from the accepted social order. The interplay of classes and the struggle to rise up the echelons will continue to occur till human stupidity ensures the annihilation of the entire race.
