Most of us have received education in an environment that was fiercely competitive as well as pressurising. We have been conditioned from an early age to believe that every good thing is scarce and to achieve it, we must defeat others. This scarcity has always taught people to aggressively run behind scores. If you don’t run fast enough, somebody else will and later, snatch the opportunity from you. The mental pressure created because of this mentality is unimaginable, for both adults and students.
The consequences of this pressure are not unknown to anybody. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, every hour, a student commits suicide which adds up to 28 suicides by students in a day. These statistics are spine chilling and scream for change in the way our education system functions.
It is integral to put a different perspective in practice that lays emphasis on learning and growth rather than scores and ranks. It is important o tell children from a very young age that everybody is blessed with his/her own unique talent and abilities. Irrespective of results and scores, each person finds a career path that suits their traits, the best. Life does not stop after an exam. It does not stop after you slip or get defeated. In fact, it never stops. The idea should be to be consistent in learning and to never give up.
Subsequently, counselling and timely mentoring for students, parents as well as teachers, if implemented, will yield miraculous results. Parents should be counselled over the right nurturing of children from very beginning. They must refrain from putting unrealistic expectations on kids, allow them the time to indulge in a variety of activities, teach them the importance of morals, inculcate the habit of reading in them, appreciate and motivate them irrespective of their achievements and avoid comparisons with their peers.
Teachers on the other hand, should be counselled over latest global trends in the education systems of various countries across the world. They must be made aware of positive changes brought about by local schools and also be trained to help students grow, holistically.
It is vital that teachers avoid threatening students against scoring less marks. They must be trained to enlighten students on all the possible opportunities available beyond focusing only on grades. Teachers must be the best talent detectors in a classroom and they should help every child feel special and supported.
Lastly, students too must be made to understand that scores don’t decide the path of their lives. Visible benefits with these changes are a definite. The benefits will be across all aspects of a student’s educational growth and will enable schools to nurture young minds, in the best way possible. Learning is always above only acing an examination.