Expectations

In the present scenario of sprawling mark sheets and results, each mark sheet is attached with an invisible tag of "high expectations". Parents' expectations are as high as sky, and they are not ready to accept a point less than 80's or 90's. And if the grades in the mark sheet didn't match the tag, guess what? Actually, no guesses, the child is out of the race! He is no more in the competition, he is of no worth now, he has wasted his parents money, he cannot do anything in life! And the story doesn't end here, comparison with other mark sheets is yet to be done, "what will the society think now?" is yet to be explained. 

Most of the students in our education system suffer from the same trauma every year, they fight the mind battles and home battles to seek peace. Parents want their children to be in the class of toppers anyhow, even if the child belongs to a class above toppers, which, is not applauded by them. Every year children are put through this excessive competition and pressure. As soon as the child reaches 10th, so called "board year", he is thrown into that old rat race which has been going on since years. And now even a class 6th student, who doesn't even know the full form of IIT is pushed for its preparation. 

Our education system only emphasises on the marks based intelligence, rote learning has become a necessity of passing an examination instead of focusing on practical application of the subject. In all theses years the system has only created more number of students committing suicides due to low marks and weak performances in examinations. Parents too are involved in this vicious circle, they push their child until he/she gets disrupted mentally. In the rush of getting into the toppers list a student loses his/her originality. Frustration seeps in and the joy of education dies and so does the purpose of living.

According to WHO reports, India has one of the highest rate of suicides among people aged between 15 and 29.Every hour, one student commits suicide in India, according to 2015 data (the latest available) from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). 

It is hard to understand why most of the Indian parents fail to comprehend with their child's abilities. Every year thousands of students face mental stress anxiety depression just because they are under extreme pressure and burden to score "very well". In such pressure how can a student concentrate on the given syllabus. 

No student or child wants to let down his/her parents' towering expectations, he/she will always try to score more to make them happy, and proud disregarding ones own choices. Parents are unaware of the fact that every child is not the same. After all everyone cannot be the topper! The child struggles, fails, and expects a little appreciation and support from parents but when parents cannot meet up to  his expectations how can they be assured of him fulfilling theirs. Sadly he only receives criticism. The monotony of the system has reached to a level where children now study only to get good grades and not knowledge and parents too encourage their child to get into a top-notch college and not explore or learn the basics of education. Student's future is judged on the basis of marks he scores and marks are given on the basis of quantity of the pages filled in exams. The more our education system has focused on grade points and percentages the more a student has lost interest in knowledge. Unlike the foreign institutes which focus on practical based learning students in India are suffering from depression and examination fear. Each year when the results of CBSE board exams are announced, suicide cases of many students are also reported. And the saddest part is that along with mediocre students even the brilliant ones find it hard to maintain their score which has been achieved only through rote learning patterns.The real reason for the enormous pressure is that all the 13 years of learning in school is crammed into a one-shot terminal examination that now has the capability of determining the entire lives of children. Its like the Last Chance Saloon, there is no second choice. Class XII is looked upon as the end of the world. Each student knows his/her own capabilities and interests very well, he/she only needs support and encouragement. Parents must not measure intelligence by marks and expect their child to be the topper always.