Board Examinations

Start preparing now.

- Rungeen Singh

The Board examination seems to be like a monstrous ogre to many. This fear could be originally in the hearts of the students, or it could have been fanned by unrealistically ambitious parents who want their children to excel, whatever the ability of their children, because they want to avoid cringing with humiliation due to their low, or even average marks.

The problem is that nowadays in CBSE examination results, any percentage below 90 per cent can be taken as average. I have seen a student cry due to disappointment on getting 92 per cent, because she felt that only getting a percentage above 96% would fit her mother’s definition of a good result.

This may be because of the very high cut-out percentages for college admissions, or because the child may be afraid of the anger of the parents. Another reason could be that unfortunately nowadays it seems that instead of qualities and virtues, students’ worth is solely measured according to their marks. So the prestige of a child gets so maligned, that low marks can propel students to commit suicide, and that is really tragic.

Suicide should not be ever, even considered by students. Students study for self-development and growth of their thinking abilities. It is not the end of the world if the student doesn’t score in the superlative.

They shouldn’t link their marks to their value and worth. Neither should families, directly or indirectly, tell the students that their marks reflect on the family prestige.

The psyche often is, that such parents want reflected glory by bragging and ‘upping’ their status and DNA, when their child is a brilliant topper.