Festival of marks and more marks : Indicators of success
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 10 2019 -

Marks, it has been all about marks and more marks ever since the different boards started announcing the Class X and Class XII examination results in the last few days.

Manipur too has followed suit and once the Class X board examination result is announced, one will definitely see schools offering different freebies to the toppers, who will all be decided by the marks they score in the board examinations.

Nothing wrong as such in this for marks is the only criteria in which students are being judged today, in the absence of any other mechanism.

The obsession with marks may be traced to the fact that marks have been raining for some students, with even two students scoring 100 percent in the ISC (Class XII) exams conducted by the Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations, result of which was announced on May 7.

In the ICSE (Class X) examination results the topper scored a whooping 99.60 percent.

In the CBSE, Class X examination, 13 students scored 499 out of 500 while in the Class XII examinations the toppers have scored 99 percent.

Students of Manipur may not have scored the ‘ludicrously’ high cent percent marks in the Class XII examinations, but it is significant to note that more than 30 students secured 95 percent and above in the just announced Class XII examination results.

The same script must have been followed in the other boards that come under the different State Governments and while this is an indicator that students are indeed studying with a purpose, it will not answer the question of whether this means that the present students are better than their elders to whom 60 percent is a first division that had substance.

Marks are no doubt important for this is the only indicator that says something solid about the performance of the young students in their studies.

But is this the be all and end all of everything ?

An important question this is and the recent Facebook post from a mother, congratulating her son on getting 60 percent in the Class X examination should give food for thought to anyone.

Last heard, the Facebook post of the young mother has gone viral with hundreds sharing the said post and chipping in with their comments.

Fishes asked to climb trees, this is what mother has put in a nutshell while referring to the mad rush for marks and more marks.

The mark one scores in the Class X and Class XII board examinations will not underline the future of the young students is the unsaid words that one may read in the post of the mother.

One need not be a 100 or a 90 or an 80 percenter to become a successful entrepreneur, a singer, a painter or an innovator.

This is one vital lesson that should be taught to all the young students, and the best start would be not to put too much pressure on the young students with the expectations of the parents, the guardians, the relatives and the society at large.

There are other avenues for those who did not make it to the top, but who nevertheless gave it their best shot.

Best effort, this is the basic truth and not the best percentage.