Feels ridiculous to be a part of an education system where impeccant minds are killed instead of educated. Yes, it does sound shocking, but it’s the reality. The only thing is that the students aren’t killed but are forced to commit suicides due to extreme and peer academic pressure. For a matter of fact, two students in the last 24 hours gave their lives in the state of Gujarat. Both were appearing for the Board exams of class 10th and 12th respectively. In the first incident the 17-year old girl threw herself in front of a running train and the other student, again a girl hung herself at her place. Well, this is no big issue; these sorts of issues keep coming day-in and day-out in these months every year as the Board exams take place in the country. Parents’ expectations, ridicule syllabi, inappropriate guidance - all leads to a student under high levels of mental stress and those who can’t cope it, commit the worst sin.

In this regard, the administrators of the system mark the suicides as signs of incapacity of students, but don’t take any responsibility on their shoulders and just provide nothing more than a bit of condolence to the family of the victim. But no one really tries to get into the root of the cause. Funniest part though is the Media’s no-involvement. News channels will always make Amitabh Bachchan’s visit to a restaurant a breaking story but won’t make these stories as a part of flashing news. These stories only find places in the news tickers, which are often ignored. Coming back to the system, it is real crap. Believe it or not, but I am myself a part of it and giving my 12th grade exams these days!
Taking a deep look at the system, it asks the Science stream students to study 3 main subjects – Physics, Chemistry and Math (or Biology). And when a student is in 10th grade, he/she has just one text of all these sciences compiled inside 300 pages. While in 12th, the student has to face a text of 600+ pages for each science for each grade. The Physics subject, which is most disliked by students in all has 32 chapters (in both – 11th and 12th) and professors proudly say that if a person understands all chapters thoroughly, he/she can understand each and every phenomena on this Earth and around; meaning to say, almost all of Physics is covered in just two grades. Not only this, many professor say that these chapters are again repeated in Colleges if you take up specialization courses in Physics. Moreover, texts are laid poorly with a million of spelling and grammatical errors. The frustrating part – the texts are first laid down in the regional language and then translated in English for English medium students. This translation makes the textbook and the authors look extremely funny. A sentence in my Chemistry text signifies – “Carbon fibers which are made up of carbon are called carbon fibers” or for more fun, “Radiation is called Electromagnetic radiation”.

The above Physics example itself gives a clear idea that how poorly laid the system is. The transformation from 10th grade to 11th can be the worst part for any student. Many would question why to take such stream if a person in incapable? The reason is lack to guidance. No one would wonder transformation of 10th grade Science of 300 pages to 2400+ pages of Science in 11th and moreso, today each and every parent wants his/her child to be a doc or an engineer. Hence, when in 12th students take this thing hard and hence succumb to pressure.

The only clear message that is to be sent to students is the art of not worrying a lot and not taking pressure. Students need to understand that 12th boards aren’t the end of life. And moreover, the system is not worth giving life for. This system which forces the students to cram the subject instead of understanding and just doesn’t bother about the practical approach is not the one to shed life for. And apart, the students should also understand the agony that falls over the family, friends and relatives, when they commit such sins.
I am only praying that I don’t read any such news in the next day’s newspaper and if they continue, I’d do my level best to urge the media houses and print publications to cover this instead of covering celebrities and spying into their personal lives.

My sincere request to blogpaper readers: Please share this compilation and very importantly if you are reading in India or have a good social base amongst Indian mass. This message needs to spread.