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| Earthern Wind Chimes – displayed for sale at a craft mela in Bengaluru |
Wind plays and creates melodies with hollow chimes strung together… Different the shape of the chime, unique the resulting melody is… Similarly, we all are different and unique. But why do most of the people are not ready to see that beauty in the creation? Why do they want everyone to be the same, scoring cent percent marks, doing the same medicals or engineering even if there is no passion for it? Why do many people think the ultimate pleasure in life is obtained by money? Why?
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I was in 7th standard. It was when most of the parents were much cool about whatever marks we scored. We had a public exam then. I don’t say that I was excellent but our teachers were the best! I was so well prepared under their guidance that I was happily watching TV just before the exams. Exams were very easy and I had answered every question including the extra questions, everything in a very systematic way. I was expecting 97 or 98 percent result as the one came out in the preparatory exam. The results came out and I had got only 90%. I became very upset. No, I wasn’t over confident, but the silly mistakes the evaluators did change my result. I had scored above 95 in all the subjects except in two of them. The number in front of science was 69 and that in front of social studies was 89. We were sure, the numbers were mistakenly reversed in both of the subjects. Head Master of the school also said the same. But, he suggested that spending money will be a waste as it was just 7th standard exam and also that we would not be getting it 100% refunded. My Appa wanted to cheer me up and he applied for re-totaling of my marks.
Finally, the re-totaling result came, I don’t remember what were the corrected numbers, my percentage was now 95. It was not exactly matching my performance but the result was better than the one first came.When I took my new marks sheet for submission to the school office, some teachers said in exclamation that I was the topper and by that time I had missed the cash price the fresher topper received in the new school. It was that time I realised, marks are nothing but just numbers that may or may not justify exactly what you present in the exams… I understood that the non-scientific education system tries to judge the potential of children in the form of lifeless marks given on the basis of an evaluator’s mood and capacity to judge.
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SSLC and PUC results are out. Just passed students will remain happier than the ones who pass out with distinctions. Parents start to compare and screw their children. Some children commit suicides. Both parents and children run behind top colleges popular for ‘rank producing‘ and behind the so called high grade ‘intelligents only’ courses… When will they understand that they are missing tuning the true selves with the hollows we have, to the melody they can create with the wind?
Many parents want their children to be number one and the best in everything. I have a question. If everyone wants to travel by a chauffeur driven car, who is going to be the chauffeur?
A great post Sindhu. I totally agree. with you. Marks mean nothing in real life. It doesn't even mean that someone who scores better is more intelligent. But, I remember the time when we were kids, and I thought they did matter. *sigh*
My mom never let us study before the exams. She thought, it led to stress. When other parents forced the kids to study, my mom wanted us to relax. That is her strategy to get good marks. The more relaxed you are, the more you remember. So, I and my brother were the only kids, who used to play during exams.
Have a wonderful week!
Very true, Sindhu.
Marks are important esp during 10th & 12th as they determine what a child will get to study…
My Papa always says- Study For Knowledge, not for Marks.
I tried studying for Knowledge & Marks followed most of the times!
Remember Rancho from the Hindi movie 3Idiots? 🙂
Take care! Keep rocking!
Nice one Sindu…reminded me of my school days. Marks has been important to me at those days as the school was very competitive. But I remember I was not straining too much but had lots of wonderful memories with friends. I was lucky that I was not pressured for marks either by my parents or relatives. But as you have said, students should be left like a free bird learning and seeking knowledge for love/interest than making them feel stressed. The life what we live in school is completely different to college and after that as the former is the best when we look back. Enjoy!
I so totally agree with that perspective… What marks we score in exams have nothing to do with who we are or become… Nice picture too 🙂