12th exams and Motivation to students

As the Higher secondary exams get underway in TN, I got a little nostalgic.

From the time, I finished my SSLC (around 2 decades back), I lost interest in the ever competing world of education in India.

I still used to remember how my parents encouraged me to play cricket and see movie before the public exams. It helped me a great deal that I got a decent score in all the subjects without complaining about pressure or health much. 

Now, all fingers in the hand don’t look the same. I have a friend, whose mother always used to crib that he only gets 90% whereas she is expecting him to scale to the 99 mark. I used to giggle along with my maternal grandmother about that over ambitious minded mother. Don’t take anything away from my friend. He is a studious fellow. 

The point here is, the unnecessary pressure faced by the kid. Capacity and capability need to be differentiated in kids. My friend can get 90% easily – that’s his capacity.. whereas he is capable to reach 99 (by capable I mean, putting even more effort) – that means he/she will sacrifice his complete relaxation time plus sleeping time and eating time.

In India, there is caste based reservation = I agree. That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to put pressure on the kids to come out with flying colors. I was gifted to have a good parents and grand-parents who almost had a devil may care attitude when it comes to getting mark range of 90-99. I still ended up second best in that with around 84% marks. I didn’t run the race run by all my other friends. I ended up in a brand new engineering college whereas all my other friends ended up in Top Universities.

When it comes to career, then I said to myself – from now on, I decide where I want to be in the next 5 years and once I completed my engineering, I got placed even before all my studious friends.

Education and career need not always go hand in hand. Parents and immediate relatives should play a huge role in shaping the child’s attitude which decides its destiny rather than the useless first mark which is nothing to be proud of.

As I type this, today, I always say with pride to everyone including my in laws, that I have enjoyed my life to the fullest during my childhood which is a rarity for most of the kids due to the breakneck competition.

I can play cricket with more agility at this age than my cousin who is 14 years younger to me.

Macaulay education system doesn’t necessarily mean that all Indians are ultra-talented. I am still only seeing book worms around me in most of the cases.

The bottom line of this post is to convey best wishes to the 12^th standard students and remember ‘it is just another exam of your life’ and this won’t definitely decide your life.

Remember, People like me don’t just live to exist -  WE ARE VERY MUCH ALIVE AND KICKING, bringing end less energy to our work place.

Jai Hind!!