‘Students are fed that marksheets are going to decide their future’

BENGALURU : Sanjay Verma (name changed) is on the verge of tears after the announcement of his results. “Our entire life and career depends on these exam results. Or at least this is what we are told all the time. I love my parents and I am sure they love me too, but I can’t help but think they would only be proud of me if I scored a certain percentage. They have invested their time, money and faith in me and if I don’t reach their expectations, I know I would have disappointed them,” he says. 

Public figures and professionals, however, are ensuring to put out a word for the younger lot to stay strong. Satish Vegesna, a national award winning filmmaker says, “I secured a second class in class 10. I failed in English in the intermediate second year and lost an academic year. I got just 50 per cent in my degree (BA), but I ventured into films and worked in over 50 films as a writer. I turned director, delivered a few flops until I made Shatamanam Bhavati, which won the Best Popular Film Award for wholesome entertainment at the 64th National Film Awards. Everyone eventually finds their way.”

“Success and failure are part of our lives. Similarly, education is preparation for life, but it’s not life itself. Parents shouldn’t put intense pressure on their children to succeed. Comparing them at each step will not help. If your child fails, parents should ensure that he/she shouldn’t lose heart. After all, failure is the stepping stone to success and one should give them a chance to improve and overcome that fear of failure in their next attempt” he says.

Shiva Prasad, an entrepreneur who admits to be an average-scorer says, “Everyone is in the race... especially students between 15 and 18. They are being fed that the marksheets are going to decide their future, but this perception is very far from the current scenario of the world in which they are going to compete later in their life. It’s all about self-competence, which need to be fed in their minds.”

He also adds, “In this present tech-dominant world, students need to focus more on their individual capacities and skill sets rather focusing on the man-valuated papers. If these marksheets decide your future, then your future is going to be outdated in the real world.”

As important as one might say education is, it is also a given that marks aren’t the only value of a person or their future. So for all the students reading this, whatever you score isn’t the end of the world.You’ll get through this. As the adage goes, “Life goes on.”