Should we celebrate student achievers?
This year too we saw three important school examinations, the Grade Five “Scholarship Examinations”, the GCE Advanced Levels and the GCE Ordinary Level examinations and results coming out at different times.
Over the weekend we saw GCE advanced Level (University Entrance) examinations result being released.
As usual, the media went to town with the top flyers at the examinations, showcasing the candidates and giving out detailed results. We see similar behaviour in the UK when A/L or the University Entrance Examinations or results are released- But mainly in the Tabloids.
My question to the public, the government and particularly the editors is the following.
What are the repercussions of highlighting the island top scorers? How such activities would affect those children’s futures? How giving such publicity will affect other children-psychologically and otherwise? What are the cascading effects of this?
After all, this is just school examinations Recently, we have seen Elon Musk, the developer of Tesla Electric cars and Falcon rockets saying that he does not bother about degrees and does not give importance to them either.
In one report he was reportedly said that he was not a Harvard Graduate but people who graduated from Harvard were working under him!
So are, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and even Einstein, who reportedly was rejected by a University. these people are who changed our lives forever. But they belong to a few, like Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group. I can admit that some kind of life skill IS necessary to make a living in today’s world but, that is not the end of life.
The main concern is this. Highlighting and featuring such high scorers in the entrance and school system examinations only puts more pressure on other kids and other parents –who in turn exert more and more pressure on their children to perform more and more at examinations- this will eventually spell disaster to society.
Educationalists and Psychologists should examine this situation (Leave out politiciansthey rely on the uneducated to their existence) and recommend changes to the government.
-PARENT