Examination Results=Pressure

" Success in life does not necessarily begin with academic success."                                                                 -Robert Sternberg

Let me tell you, hardly anyone follows this quote. One of the main barriers to true education in India is the exaggerated emphasis put on 'examination results'. It is almost like a worship of good "Marks".

Like I remember, in class X, after attempting my question paper I used to first of all count my marks at least three times; when my results were coming out I used to pray to God every night before sleeping. There is no problem in praying to God but the problem is in the fear; I had the typical fear of getting extremely low marks or lower than my expectations. It was after my X that I realized, worshipping Exam results has expelled the true divine, Education, from its temple. We have set up 'Results' in the place of worship instead of 'Education'. Results are seen more valuable and ornamental, plus our level of intelligence also depends on our results. 

So, what's the root cause of this "false worship" i.e. of Results?

⨳Average Parents' view- Parents have a practical value of degrees and diplomas. Mostly, fathers send their sons to school not to gain knowledge or learn but to get a degree, because degree means a profitable job. He does not care much about how much his son is learning until and unless he is getting good marks.

⨳Jealousy- There is a rivalry between colleges/ schools. Most of the schools and colleges are private, they attach their pride to their college. Their pride is uplifted when their college gets good results and is depressed, ashamed and even angry when results are not that good.

⨳Media propaganda- The local press takes the matter up. It publishes and analysis the results, pointing out that School-A stands top , while School-V stand at the bottom of the list.  

This public opinion, made up of the 'average parent' , 'jealousies' and 'the press' , pressurizes the managing bodies. 

If the results are bad , the managing bodies warn the Principal, that if there is no improvement they will be fined or even dismissed. The teachers soon come to know that their incomes depend on the 'results'. Finally, the pressure falls on the students. They, driven by their teachers and parents at home, become equally nervous to get pass. They load their memories with anything that may be of use in the examination. What is the result?🤔 

Instead of "Education" we get a vast system of filling up, which is total opposite of true mental training and development. 

The parents should understand that the results are not the end of life and the child should also be made to feel so. Instead of building pressure on the children in the end of the year, parents and teachers should start preparing them well in advance.

As WILLIAM ALLIN has rightly said,

" Education is not the answer to the question. It is the means to answer all the questions."