Raju failed to pass SSLC exam. His parents wanted him to pass this exam at any cost. Raju did work hard. He went for tuitions early in the morning a whole year and took lessons from good coaching institutions. Raju‟s mother who works as teacher also made him study till late night every day. When his result came, Raju‟s parents were disappointed and shocked. Neighbours and relatives children all had passed the exam with distinction. In a fit of rage, Raju‟s mother scolded him for ruining the family name. Raju, a good and sensitive boy, wrote a suicide note and tried to kill himself by jumping into a lake in the city. Fortunately someone saw him jumping and rescued him.
a) If you were in Raju’s position, what would you have done after the result and what would you have expected from your parents? Explain. (150 Words)
b) In your opinion, what should be the priority for any parent when it comes to their children’s future? What values should they inculcate in their children? Examine. (150 Words)
Though failure does lead to frustration, hopelessness and tempts us to take extreme step, it also gives a chance to look back and find out causes for our failure. As Raju, I would have taken this opportunity to introspect and review on the causes of my failure.
I would talk to my parents, teachers and friends especially those who have succeeded after failing and take their guidance. I would make a list of my mistakes and try to work on each one of them. I would leave no stone unturned so as to achieve success. It is important to remember what Confucius said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall“.
Though, ideally I would have expected my parents to stand by and motivate me, I also must realize their expectations and the societal pressure on them. I would take their scolding as something said in a fit of rage rather than on intentional note. I would ask them for their support and promise them to work as hard as possible.
Parent want their children to be happy and secure. When it comes to future, parents should motivate their children to introspect and choose their own goals. Though, they may direct or persuade them, they should never coerce them to choose a particular goal. They should attempt to provide every support from right from emotional to financial. They should emphasize on excellence and learning rather than on examination success. Thus, while they should be appreciative of success, they should also be open to failure and take recourse to constructive criticism during the same.
They should try to inculcate the values of patience, optimism and honesty in them. Also, they must try to inculcate in them a spirit of self-discovery and critical thinking. They should advocate that there are no short-cuts to success and it can be achieved through genuine hard-work. Above all, they should lay stress on the principle that though it is important to be successful, it is even more important to be a good human being.
Now and then we keep reading in media about suicides committed by students not able to cope up with pressure of studies and competition. Do you think our education system is putting undue pressure on students and affecting their creativity? Critically comment and also examine the role of family and society in helping students manage pressures. (200 Words)
Suicide is a crude reality of Human Society and, a manifestation of loss of hope from everywhere including from oneself. Current state of educational system:
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- Our education infrastructure is characterized by too few seats and too many candidates – leading to fierce competition.
- The current system of teaching and evaluation which is mechanistic and encourages rote-learning and discourages innovation and critical thinking.
- Indiscriminately high focus on formal education and neglect on developing other faculties of human life [are referred to as extra-curricular activities].
- Absence of counsellors in educational institutes. Further, in today’s educational culture, discussing one’s problems is seen as stigma and sign of weakness
However, not only our education system, but even our family in particular and society in general are also guilty:
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- Viewing education only as an instrumental value in getting jobs rather than appreciating its inherent value and as a process of learning
- The fate of child is decided before he is born. He is supposed to choose from a very narrow set of conventional careers rather than pursuing his or her own interests.
- Creating a wedge between Science and Arts Subjects. While pursuing Science subjects are seen as sign of strength and high aptitude, Arts subjects are seen as sign of weakness and low aptitude.
- Increasing comparison between students and increasing peer pressure to perform in examinations
Role of family and Society:
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- Allowing individuals to pursue their own interests;
- Giving equal emphasis to all streams of education
- Facilitating an ambiance of openness and encouraging them to discuss their problems;
- Restraining from emphasizing too much on performance in exams
- Above all being receptive to failures as much as to success
“We are reducing the child into becoming fake copies of what we aspire for rather than helping the child become a master of his or her own soul.” In your opinion what an ideal education should constitute and aim for? Critically analyse. (200 Words)
Recent pictures of mass cheating in State board examination in Bihar on social, print & electronic media only reflect the decadal state of education in our country; Failure of our educational system has led to over-reliance on requisite certifications; manifesting into an enhanced pressure to perform well in examinations; leading to:
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- Distorted focus: emphasis is on ends and not on means; promoting usage of unfair means; such early compromise on morals & ethics leads is reflected through widespread corruption in society.
- Hampers creative & original thinking: as stress is more on mugging up/cheating just to clear the exam and not on holistic understanding of subject matter.
- Inability to handle pressure: has led to growing instances of student suicides.
An ideal education system should:
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- Inspires creative thinking: emphasis on utilizing one’s own mind to come up with solutions rather than mere copy pasting
- Embraces human values: including broader morals & ethics; learning to respect means more than ends; create citizens filled with self-confidence ready to take on the world not mere drones.
- Our education systems should aim to bring out the best in an individual by harmonizing his/her intellectual, moral & emotional self; focus should be on empowering the individual who can efficiently utilize the opportunities at hand to come up with meaningful solutions.