95% and nowhere to go

I was reading this article from India Today (July 4, 2011 edition). Some points mentioned in this article brought these snippets of conversation I was having a two friends of mine at different places, in an entirely different context ....

1st friend : I remember whatever I read like a picture. So, I never had to use my brain as such to clear my 12th exam. If you have practiced last 3 year's questions, you are all set for the exams. They don't even change the figures in Mathematics paper. So, just remember that picture with solution for this question & you are done with the exams.

2nd friend : I find it difficult to handle my 4th grader's English paper. They give a passage & ask questions which are directly not mentioned in the passage .... what would have been the premise for this passage, what should ideally come after the passage and so on.

The first friend is a university rank holder and she completed her 12th exam in 1997. The second is the mother of child who is currently doing her 4th grade. I can surely see the change in the education/examination system. Probably by the time this 4th grader completes her 12th grade, things would have changed in favor of the students.