Yesterday, as I stepped out of my apartment, I heard my neighbor admonishing her daughter for scoring 86% on a class test. My first thought was, "What was she expecting from the child? An advanced degree in astrophysics?" It took me back to my school days when getting over 60% was cause for celebration and scoring 80% was the stuff of dreams. What has changed from then to now? Why has the joy of going to school been reduced to a gloomy, depressing, and stressful chore?
Knowledge has been replaced by high scores retained through rote learning. Children go to school looking like they are heading to a detention center and return like zombies after a long day of mind-numbing monotony. What happened to the days when school was about exploration and learning? Does modern technology, economic pressures, and lifestyle demand weigh so heavily that children have lost the joy of childhood and the fun of their teenage years?
Back in my day, the biggest worry was whether the school lunch would be edible, not whether you'd ace a standardized test that could make or break your future. Today, youngsters are diagnosed with diabetes, heart issues, and other stress-related lifestyle diseases at an alarming rate. When a parent shells out a fortune for a so-called "decent education" and the child scores less than expected, the school blames the parent. Are parents now supposed to teach their children what the school has been paid to do?
Every school seems more concerned about their 100% results than the child’s future. The result? A conveyor belt of high-scoring zombies. These kids, once full of life, become robots with great scores but no spark. They grow up and, you guessed it, give birth to more little zombies.
Take my friend, for instance. He wanted his child to be a doctor (never mind what the child wanted) and put him in one of those highly popular 100% result residential schools (read: prisons) in Namakkal, a town in Tamil Nadu, India, famous for producing high scorers. This once bubbly child emerged three years later lifeless, having lost his smile and zest for life. Even if he becomes a doctor, he will be a robot going through the motions.
Today, schools teach children how to make a living but not how to live. Knowledge, learning, and the simple joy of life have been sacrificed in the rush to teach a fish to climb a tree. The rise of places like Kota and the proliferation of tuition centers are testament to the fact that learning has taken a backseat, and education has become a business. What’s been sacrificed here? Childhood and the joy of growing up.
When I let my son pursue football, which he loved, and a degree in sports management, many friends and family members frowned. They thought I was mad and spoiling his career. But seeing my son do what he loves most is more precious than any high-paying, soul-crushing job that might promise a million bucks but shorten his lifespan.
Today’s education system has parents believing that their child must be the best, the brightest, the top of the class. Anything less is unacceptable. This relentless pressure has driven student suicides to heartbreaking levels. It's no longer about learning; it's about surviving an academic meat grinder. The joy of learning has been replaced by the terror of failing to meet unrealistic expectations.
Picture this: A child comes home from school. Instead of asking, “What did you learn today?” parents ask, “What score did you get?” Knowledge is secondary; numbers on a report card are everything. The kids become walking, talking statistics.
Why do we do this to our children? Why do we turn education into a battlefield where only the top scorers survive, while the rest are left to fend off anxiety and depression? Why do we make them believe that a high score is the only measure of their worth?
In this race for academic excellence, we forget to teach them the most important lessons: how to be happy, how to live well, and how to pursue their passions. The joy of learning, the thrill of discovery, and the excitement of exploring new ideas have been overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of high scores.
So, let’s take a step back and ask ourselves: Is it worth it? Is it worth sacrificing our children’s childhoods, their mental and physical health, and their happiness for the sake of perfect scores? Is it worth turning them into joyless, lifeless zombies who know how to make a living but not how to live?
Maybe it's time to redefine success. Maybe it’s time to let our children be children, to let them learn, explore, and grow at their own pace. Maybe it’s time to teach them that life is about more than just scores and grades. After all, isn’t the simple joy of watching our children do what they love most more precious than any academic accolade?
Category:Education
