Marks alone cannot be barometer of success

It’s really shocking to see the students ending their lives just because of poor performance in board exams. It is quite common to experience butterflies in stomach before any major event, but run up to results, often proves to be a traumatic phase for numerous students. During exams, youngsters and their parents seem to get emotionally carried away. They turn it into a do or die event and forget that whatever would be the result, its consequences would never be irreversible. Nowadays, an increasing sense of competitiveness has invaded our minds, relationships and society. The need to outperform others and flaunt achievements has spread like an epidemic. The students grow up with a belief that in order to live a decent life, they must defeat everyone around them. Youngsters and those putting pressure on them need to look at the bigger picture. The students must study wholeheartedly and should not worry about scores because life continues to give everyone multiple opportunities to realise their dreams.

SANJAY CHOPRA

Evaluate kids at  regular intervals

Parents want their kids to become IAS officers, doctors, engineers and make it big in Information Technology sector. Students want good score in board exams to outperform their counterparts and propel their career growth. It has been witnessed that insufficient marks in board exams push students towards suicide. Parents must assess attitude of kids regularly and should not force their choice. There are still better job avenues in case someone scores less marks. Our political system further complicates the problem as politicians have failed to create employment oppurtunities and instead ask students to open a tea stall.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar

Never copmare kids with peers 

At present, marks obtained by students during board exams are the only barometer to their judge intelligence and skills. Students’ natural skills, prowess and innovation usually take a back seat. Cut-throat competition usually leads to depression among students and as a result, they fail to justify expectations of their parents. The parents should take out more time to understand and encourage their kids instead of comparing them with peers and batchmates. Students should be asked to actively participate in sports. They should develop a habit of self analysis and concentrate on how they can serve the society. The parents should allow natural capabilities to develop instead of tailoring careers of their wards.

Deepaj Mehra

Students face multiple hurdles

With the CBSE Class XII and Class X results being declared, students have begun gearing up for a crucial phase of their lives. For Class X students, the board results determine which stream they study further. For Class XII students, it is all about getting into the right institute and face competition. The Indian education system is a long race where students have to face  multiple hurdles. As a result, students are always under immense pressure to perform during board exams and learning takes a back seat. And those who fail to perform in exams, often plunge in depression and even commit suicide. We are producing a labour pool with low skills and this has been confirmed by the Niti Aayog as 53 per cent of those passing out of India’s higher educational institutions are not employable. We need to massively invest in vocational training and provide greater autonomy to schools and universities in the country.

VANDANA

Allow students to nurture their talent

Nowadays, parents want to realise their own dreams through kids. As a result, they put undue pressure on children to excel in a particular subject or field in which they might not be interested. Why a doctor’s son should be a doctor and an engineer’s son should be an engineer? Why we cannot think beyond being doctors and engineers? Let the children choose their own career. Coming out with flying colours in exams is not the only option to determine success in life. Students should exploit their talent and should be allowed to introspect.

Today’s kids belong to an era of smart world. Parents should have faith in them and let them decide their own flight path. Else, incidents of suicides will keep on happening. 

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Parents need to Spend quality time with kids

Both parents and students are responsible for rise in suicide cases due to fear of failure in the board exams. Parents should not ignore little things and spend quality time with their kids as not doing so often pushes the latter away. Schools should hold special lectures focusing entirely on patience and facing adverse circumstances. Thrust should be laid on self-control and not getting provoked on little issues.

TARLOK SINGH

Students being made scapegoats

Comparison of the board results with peers and batchmates creates undue stress among the students. Parental pressure and additional burden by teachers for the sake of their own promotions make students scapegoats. This phenomenon has given rise to suicide among youngsters.  As both parents are employed, they fail to keep a tab on their ward and spend quality time with them.  Parents have no idea how kids can be groomed as better individuals and citizens. The goals should be set according to one’s capabilities. Parents should not involve children in family conflicts and never revisit their previous failures. In a nutshell, parents need to invest in lives of children and not just in education. 

RAJIV BOOLCHAND JAIN

Need to have better bonding with kids

Incidents of students committing suicide after being unable to obtain good marks in board exams is increasing every year. The parental pressure on kids for higher marks has been the root cause behind this extreme trend. The examination system has changed with the passage of time. The present system involves admission tests for NEET and JEE main, among others.  The parents must encourage their wards to study wholeheartedly rather than competing for higher marks. Both parents and teachers need to work to ensure overall growth of the students in this competitive world. Regular counselling sessions for students appearing in exams should be held and they must be made wary of taking the extreme step. Parents and school auhtorites should ensure that the students take part in outdoor activities and social services to create a better bonding. 

WG CDR JASBIR SINGH MINHAS RETD.

Differences should be celebrated, not stifled 

It is not wise to evaluate everybody by the same set of metrics, while not taking into account their individual strengths and weaknesses. Every individual should be allowed to follow their own interests. I feel every individual is a genius “We all shine more, when we are given the freedom to do what we love”. Just because we are not so great in certain areas, it doesn’t mean we should feel inferior. In fact, our differences should be celebrated and embraced, not stifled!

Sehajnoor Singh

Stop being critical 

Exams and marks obtained in board exams have become a barometer of one’s intelligence and success. Students are under immense parental, peer and societal pressure to top in every exam they appear. As a result, kids are suffering from immense depression. This is also creating physical and physiological problems in youngsters.Effective and urgent steps need to be taken in this regard. There are numerous examples wherein individuals without formal education have excelled in their respective fields. Even the educational policy needs an immediate review. High suicide rate among youngsters should be curtailed and this can happen if we stop being critical in our outlook. Every individual has his own personal traits, learning capacity and brain strength, among others. We must understand that the human life is the biggest gift and should be appreciated against all the odds. The children should be made to accept failures as well. 

Dr Rajeev Kumar

Let the child identify his/her strength

The main reason behind excessive stress among students is the faulty method of viewing success. In our society, success is measured by material gains. This results in rat race among students to outperform their peers. And things get worse in the board exams as students score 100 out of 100 marks and toppers are made heroes. Every parent puts pressure on his/ her child to score above 90 / 95 percent, thereby turning him into a rote machine. What about his childhood and all round development? Look at your child and identify his/ her strengths. Let their institute inculcate skills in addition to character building. Then, let him take up a course or job which he loves. Please do not push your child against the wall. 

COLONEL RD SINGH (RETD)

Basic IQ matters more than high marks

Tendency of suicide rate among Class X and XII students after declaration of exam results has seen an upward trend. Unwanted expectations of parents put undue pressure on wards to achieve distinctive results, despite knowing capabilities of the student. It is the foremost responsibility of parents and teachers to prepare the students to face the stark realities of life along with competition. Mahatama Gandhi was not a topper, but he fought the Britishers and led the freedom moment. Many top mathematicians and scientists do not have good educational background. This gives a message that basic IQ of the students matters more than high marks in board exams. 

Bhupinder S Sealopal

Stress generates negative feelings

Education is about learning wisdom of life. Parents often create stressful environment for their children by comparing them with their counterparts. Parental pressure, highger expectations and additional burden by teachers put undue stress on children. Stress in youngsters also generates negative thinking. As the stress level goes beyond manageable limit, students are left with no option but to take an extreme step. Marks obtained in exams cannot define success in one’s life. Regular counselling and giving time to children should be top priority of every parent. 

VIDYA SAGAR GARG

Education system needs an overhaul 

Cut-throat competition for getting admissions in top colleges and universities is putting students under stress. The entire education system requires a change. At present, it is the parents or teachers who select stream of the students. The government on its part should provide sufficient seats in colleges to release pressure due to massive competition. Private universities and colleges should not charge high fee which is also a reason for stress not just among students but on parents as well. It has been observed that bright students are often deprived of higher education because of financial crunch. 

BHARAT BHUSHAN SHARMA

Urgent Need to boost morale of students

We need to understand that children do not have identical intelligence levels. Some students might be sharp, some mediocre and some at the lower threshold. It simply means that those scoring less need proper family and psychological support. Teachers too need to play a vital role to buck up such students. Failure in exams does not mean end of the world. There is always a new opportunity waiting to be grabbed. Parents should desist from drawing comparison of their wards with others as it causes mental agony.  Regular counselling and boosting morale of students is the need of the hour so that he/she does thinks of committing suicide just because of scoring low marks in exams. 

S S Arora

Toxic examination culture in India

The examination culture in India is so toxic that it bars anyone from celebrating anything less than a perfect 90 per cent. This overwhelming pressure is quite visible in the way we give away all the glory and limelight to the toppers, while those who manage to pass exams are hounded by their own marks. A kids report card isn’t what defines him/her as a person and is not a way to measure their capabilities. Children are much more than the marks they achieve or the grades they get in exams. Let them enjoy learning without any pressure to ensure a happy and stress-free life. Dr Shruti K Chawla    

Why judge students on basis of marks

It is rightly said that a piece of paper cannot decide one’s future, but the rigid mentality of an Orthodox society has disrupted numerous lives. The Class X and XII results are considered to be the building blocks of the pyramid of success, but how can one’s intelligence be interpreted through certain numerals. The students are put under stress which leads them to undermine themselves during declaration of results.  Children committing suicide because of low grades is the fault of society, as we judge their brilliance on the basis of marks scored. Prachi Utreja   

Adopt realistic approach 

Most of the students are under stress to perform in board exams. It is because of parental and peer pressure that children often take an extreme step. There is no guarantee that a child scoring higher marks is more intelligent than his/her counterparts.  Success does not necessarily relate to higher score in exams. Parents need to adopt a realistic approach towards their children. They should keep their cool and let the children do what they enjoy the most.Rajinder Kumar Garg

QUESTION

With Panjab University forming a panel to rationalise fee structure, should the varsity hike  fee as it did before? The university has been facing financial crunch and has not recruited new faculty in the last couple of  years.

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