Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Exam results are here… Suicides are here too…!!!!

Come April-May, most of the boards declare the results of the exams conducted for the year. The newspapers are filled with photos of toppers, best performing schools, inspiring stories etc. BUT you cannot miss other news items also along with these, especially those of suicide reports. Last one week I have seen on an average 2 suicide incidents reported every day! I wonder how many more happened un-noticed.

Some common reasons for these cases:

  • Extreme Case: He/She failed the board exam. (So what! I know it’s not a fantastic news but there is always a next time. It’s not the end of the road anyway.)
  • Sad Case: He/She didn’t score “as expected”, meaning got less marks. (Now, pray tell me what in life happens as we expect? We expect lots of things, but things don’t always happen our way... learn to face defeats my dear boys and girls…)
  • Sadder Case: He/She didn’t meet the expectations of “others”. (This is the real killer. Why can’t all these “others” just shut up and mind their own business instead of comparing one child’s results with all his/her elder cousins/nephews/neighbors whatnots!)
  • Surprising Case: He did well. Secured 91%… in fact is the school topper but still committed suicide! (Surprised? Read this).

What do we make out from this? Whatever the reasons might be, but a common underlining factor is insecurity. These children need help. Who else but from their own kith and kin!

This is an appeal to all the parents out there who have their children writing board exams in the near future. Please, please and pretty please give strength to your children. I agree it is required to make them study and work hard and all that.. but set your own and their expectations low. Make them realize that exam is not the end of the world. If not this, then something else… You can either make them or break them. Choose what you want finally, your son/daughter or a fantastic score card?

May the souls of all these children rest in peace!

Footnote: I am simply bowled over by the %ages achieved by the students who have fared well…. 99% aggregate in a board exam? Simply beyond my imagination! One of my cousins got 88% and had to run from pillar to post to get a seat in some good PUC college L Is 88% a bad percentage..? I thought it was distinction…. It seems the cut off in these colleges are 94%... can you believe that?

13 comments:

pavan kumar said...

Prince's story was really saddening.. talent defeated by money (yet again)!

Anonymous said...

Foot note is scary ...
time has changed ..eh ? I was 74% something and i got admission a very good college.

Srikanth said...

I am too surprised with the kind of %ages which people are getting.
There need to be some justification to the way marks are given. This shows up too many anamolies in the process.

I actually wanted to know the ranks of all these kids who scored 95+ % in other competitive exams like IIT.
There will be no comparision. This is a very big difference in the whole process of "testing" someone of their competency.

The whole system of education is designed to make "clerks" by British.
I donot have anything against any particular profession, and also the kind of subjects and the content is also fine.
But the "process" of teaching and testing needs major refinement.

Anonymous said...

Do bloggers think alike..!

http://bangaloreblues.wordpress.com/2007/05/30/what-have-we-come-to/

We have spoken about peer pressure on other reasons here.
Your Footnote sounds interesting and most of us seem to agree to the point that its surprising to see the "inflation" even in the marks...! do we blame IT for this one?

Anonymous said...

Wow !!! We do think alike :-)

praneshachar said...

I wanted to say the same think alike
already said it is true link can be seen
all parents should read both these posts atleast some will think differently
wish better senses prevail

pranesh

Kavi said...

I only shudder to think as to what the future holds. they cant award beyond 100 % can they !

What are the kids of the future going to do with that kind of expectation benchamarks. Scary to say the least.

More than the kids, i think the parents need to be handheld into an examination results scenario !

pavan kumar said...

but frankly, I would like to ask, how much does these percentages affect? It might decide the fee structure or branch or maybe a college or university, but from my experience, a 70% and 80% candidate in X std CBSE, both end up in the same intermediate (PUC) coll., people with <1000 rank and those with 5k rank (in entrance exam) have ended up in the same Engg coll (maybe diff branch), and all these have landed in US for MS.. now which field is immaterial as all (well most of them) land in the IT industry.. and the worst case? the MS degree isnt shown to get the job (as translating those years as experience helps more).. so what is the point in seeing who got that 5 or 10% more? does it really matter in the long run? bookish knowledge vs worldly skills filter these people gradually as they progress towards job-life..

I know I have generalised a lot in the above explanation, but could one connect to that I said?

praneshachar said...

WHY CANT MORE THAN 100%?
one My nephew solved all the Q asked in maths igonoring that he has to answer only 10. so valuation was done his total was more than 100 ( becasue all answers were right ) this was in a terminal exam. so I dont know whether time will come if you answer more and all are correct award more marks and he excellant.

like some parameters in measuring performance of cos,,
if you are less than target by 10% your good
If you are exactly 100 % you are very good
If you are more than estimates by 15 % you are excellant

Og god is more than 100% marks awarded in exams what happens??

pranesh

Anonymous said...

bachodi:

inflation has reached the marks received too, i believe - i figure about 1.5 percent per year maybe :-)

pavan:

i agree - the key is to come to the usa, by hook, crook, or h-1 :-).

- s.b.

Shark said...

@pavan: I don't think it's money. It's lack of courage in that boy. So what if he couldn't study further just now.. he could have joined a job made some money and then studied... these thoughts should be instilled by parents

@bachodi: 74% now... is considered below average :( I know it's exteremly scary!!!!

@srikanth: It does not matter how they fare in other exams. For them to get to PUC/professional course, this marks is sufficient na?

@veena: :) It's not IT to blame. It's the exam pattern, nowadays most of sections in exams are multiple choice questions.. so you can score :)

@vijay: yes we do :)

@kadalabal: I only wish better senses previal :(

@kavi: now don't give them ideas... then 100% will be cut off!!! where will my kids go? :(

@pavan: very valid point! But people fail to see "this" when their kids are in 10th and 12th... all they want is fantastic percentages...

@kadalabal: i am just hoping against my hope that such a thing never happens :(

@s.b: with the h1 process getting more stringent... we can only imagine what will happen :(

k@rTh1K said...

hmm... yeah I read about it. Well I guess it is time for the govt. to streamline where the reservation goes and where it doesn't.
The footnote is frightening though

Shark said...

karthik: where have you been? and what happened to your blog?