English Reading Comprehension for SBI PO 2018 (Day-114)

Dear Readers, Here we have given Practice English Reading Comprehension quiz and questions for SBI PO 2018 Exams with detailed explanation. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming Bank Exams can make use of it.

[WpProQuiz 2623]

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Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.

The public education system has for long been under fire. It is being painted as non-functioning, wasteful and un-improvable. The Right to Education Act was designed to improve this system. Therefore, it is natural that the RTE will also come under fire from the same quarters that have been attacking the PES. The PES and RTE do have problems, and they need to be fixed; we need to find a way to make the system deliver in terms of better learning outcomes. However, all the attacks which arise from private schools, their supporters and the privatisation lobby are unjustified; and the solutions that are being aggressively pushed will lead us further into the morass. A lie is being perpetrated through sheer force of repetition that learning is better in so-called low-cost private schools. There are some studies that claim that private schools outperform public schools; while others claim that after adjusting for family and socio-economic background of the children. In spite of many studies conducted more or less with the express purpose of establishing that low-fee private schools do better, there is no reliable evidence to support that claim. However, there is evidence that students in private schools are less likely to belong to low caste groups which means that they are less inclusive. Therefore, the repeated claims of better learning in private schools are unfounded. When it became difficult to empirically prove that children learn better in private schools, the attack invented a new weapon: per unit cost of learning outcomes. Most of the learning outcome researches almost always fail to understand the entire purport of education in any depth and reduce it to learning of so-called 3Rs for economic purposes. The new claim that emerged out of misplaced confidence that all that is in education can be quantified is that the per unit cost of outcome is lower in private schools. This argument is completely spurious and shows very little understanding of education. The costs quoted for private schools, one, have no reliable source of data and, two, they discount two kinds of hidden costs to the family and to the nation. Often the cost of education in private schools is equated with the fee per child. This is obviously wrong as the cost of school uniform, books and stationery, and transport, which all are under the monopoly of the school, are not included. Occasionally private schools want additional money for special occasions like festivals, picnics, excursions and projects.

Second, the low-cost private schools often run in grossly inadequate infrastructure. The teachers are paid less than minimum unskilled labour wages legislated by various State governments. This has a devastating effect on teacher status in the society, on teacher knowledge in the education system. The children see all this and imbibe attitudes that are self-centred, competition-oriented, and start thinking that ethics is a hindrance in the success of a business. Therefore, the nation pays in terms of lowered teacher status and professional knowledge, abandoning a section of its citizens to exploitation, and possibly unhealthy attitudes in its future citizens. Of course, one can argue that the PES is no better in transmitting attitudes to the children. To add to the force of two spurious argument mentioned above a new falsehood is being spread, that the low-cost private schools are closing due to implementation of the RTE. The RTE norms of infrastructure, children per teacher, teacher qualifications and teacher remunerations, all are just minimum to run a decent school. Further, the claim that private schools are being closed down due to RTE is false. Recently the Azim Premji Foundation conducted a study in 69 districts across seven States and one Union Territory and found that across these districts only five schools were closed due to non-compliance of the RTE and notices for compliance had been served to 7,156 schools. It seems the data being used to propagate this canard of closure are unreliable. The remedy suggested for the low learning levels in the PES is to encourage the private sector. Simply put, that means provide public money to the private profiteer either though the vouchers or by facilitating their compliance with the RTE norms. The vouchers are seen as the ticket to quality education as the parents can decide to take their children to any private school they like.

Teacher education in our country is almost entirely in the hands of the private colleges. And we all know that it has completely ruined teacher education and all attempts to improve it so far have failed. The proponents of the voucher system forget that freedom of choice requires informed decision-making. Poor parents do not have adequate information about schools, and that information cannot be reliably and systematically provided. Their judgment can be easily swayed by false propaganda, as is being done right now across the country. The strength of these canards is not their truth, but the underperformance of and resultant dissatisfaction with the system. The RTE is not being implemented either efficiently or fairly, efforts are half-hearted at best. Governments have diluted it and are uninterested in making the private schools comply with it. It was constructed to provide better schools to the poor. But they have made provisions to spare themselves. Similar treatment is meted out to almost every legislation in our country. The issue of quality of education can be easily fixed in the RTE. It was assumed that since the States are responsible for curriculum details beyond the National Curriculum Framework, and administration and financing of education is under their purview, they would be better placed to make guidelines on these issues. They failed to meet the challenge. Therefore, perhaps there is a case to introduce some clauses on ensuring learning standards.

1) According to the passage why the statement -the per unit cost of outcome is lower in private schools is said to be completely fake?

1. Because there is no reliable source of data to prove it right
2. Because it discounts basically two kinds of hidden costs to the family and to the nation
3. Because the study claims it do not let private schools to outperform

a) ii and iii

b) i and ii

c) i and iii

d) All except i

e) None of these

2) According to the passage what do you mean by 3Rs for economic purposes?

1. It is a remedy suggested for the low learning levels to encourage the private sector.
2. It is a set of curriculum details brought by the National Curriculum Framework, and administration for financing of education
3.  It is a claim which states that the per unit cost of outcome is lower in private schools.

a) Only iii

b) i and ii

c) ii and iii

d) i and iii

e) All are correct

3) According to the passage which of the following is responsible for the devastating effect on teacher status in the society?

a) Teacher education in our country is entirely in the hands of the private colleges.

b) Instead of sorting out issue private schools provide money to the profiteer either though the vouchers or by facilitating their compliance with the RTE norms.

c) The teachers are paid less than minimum unskilled labour wages legislated by various State governments.

d) The Governments have diluted the issue of hefty fees and are uninterested in making the private schools comply with it.

e) None of these

4) Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?

1. Studies claim that public schools outperform private schools; while others claim that after adjusting for family and socio-economic background of the children.
2. Often the cost of education in private schools is equated with the fee per child.
3. Azim Premji Foundation conducted a study in 69 districts and found that across these districts only five schools were closed due to non-compliance

a) Only ii

b) i and ii

c) Only iii

d) All except i

e) None of these

5) According to the passage which of the following has been mentioned correct about voucher system which is meant to improve learning of children?

a) The system passes the norms of infrastructure, children per teacher, teacher qualifications and teacher remunerations.

b) The vouchers are seen as the ticket to quality education as the parents can decide to take their children to any private school they like

c) The proponents of the voucher system forget that freedom of choice requires informed decision-making.

d) The system was constructed to provide better schools to the poor.

e) None of these

6) Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?

1. The States are not responsible for curriculum details beyond the National Curriculum Framework, and administration so they would be better placed to make guidelines on the issues.
2. Private schools take additional money for special occasions like festivals, picnics, excursions and projects.
3. It has been rightly stated that the low-cost private schools are closing due to implementation of the RTE.

a) ii and iii

b) i and ii

c) i and iii

d) Only ii

e) None of these

7) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word “perpetrated” printed in bold as used in the passage.

a) Abstain

b) Effectuate

c) Eschewed

d) Renounce

e) Forgo

8) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word “propagate” printed in bold as used in the passage.

a) Fecundate

b) Cessation

c) Desistance

d) Blockade

e) Standstill

9) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word “swayed” printed in bold as used in the passage.

a) Stagger

b) Undulate

c) Wobble

d) Fluctuate

e) Buttress

10) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word “spurious” printed in bold as used in the passage.

a) Specious

b) Contrived

c) Legitimate

d) Apocryphal

e) Deceitful

Answers:

1). Correct Answer is: b)

It is clearly mentioned in para 1- This argument is completely spurious and shows very little understanding of education. The costs quoted for private schools, one, have no reliable source of data and two, they discount two kinds of hidden costs to the family and to the nation.

2). Correct Answer is: a)

It is mentioned in para 1- Most of the learning outcome researches almost always fail to understand the entire purport of education in any depth and reduce it to learning of so-called 3Rs for economic purposes. The new claim that emerged out of misplaced confidence that all that is in education can be quantified is that the per unit cost of outcome is lower in private schools.

3). Correct Answer is: c)

It is mentioned in para 2- The teachers are paid less than minimum unskilled labour wages legislated by various State governments. This has a devastating effect on teacher status in the society, on teacher knowledge in the education system.

4). Correct Answer is: d)

It is clearly mentioned in para 1&2- Often the cost of education in private schools is equated with the fee per child, recently the Azim Premji Foundation conducted a study in 69 districts across seven States and one Union Territory and found that across these districts only five schools were closed due to non-compliance of the RTE

5). Correct Answer is: b)

It is mentioned in para 2- The vouchers are seen as the ticket to quality education as the parents can decide to take their children to any private school they like.

6). Correct Answer is: c)

It is clearly mentioned in para 2&3- It was assumed that since the States are responsible for curriculum details beyond the National Curriculum Framework, and administration and financing of education is under their purview, they would be better placed to make guidelines on these issues. To add to the force of two spurious argument mentioned above a new falsehood is being spread, that the low-cost private schools are closing due to implementation of the RTE.

7). Correct Answer is: b)

The meaning of word perpetuated is to carry out or commit illegal or immoral action

8). Correct Answer is: a)

The meaning of word propagate is to promote an idea, theory, etc. or put about

9). Correct Answer is: e)

The meaning of word swayed is to move back and forth or roll

10). Correct Answer is: c)

The meaning of word spurious is not genuine or fake

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