Pic courtesy: stockimages at Freedigitalphotos.net
For some strange reason, I loved exams. They gave me a rush. I enjoyed pitting my brains against what the teachers could come up with. And, then the elation of doing well was a personal victory. I still remember how back in the days when I was in school, we had ranks. Gosh, we used to sweat it out for every single mark. And, then the day of reckoning would dawn.
The report card after our final exams till 10th standard was given at school in class among your classmates. The class teacher would have our report cards piled up high arranged from 1st rank till the last. She would glance at our nervous faces with a smile and then dramatically announce the first rank. As the first rankholder went to collect the report almost walking on air, the others would whisper admiringly perhaps feeling a tinge of jealousy. We all pretty much knew who would get which rank and even could guess top scorers in each subject. It was fun, really.
Today, I went to collect my elder son’s report. I had the slightest apprehension that the teacher may just throw up her hands and laugh in my face, “April Fool’s Day.” But, luckily that did not happen. You know, I have only one question for parents who linger on and on after they collect the report. I mean, it is the end of the year. What is there to discuss in-depth? Do they feel that since they have come and waited their turn, now they must make small talk and stretch their time in the coveted place? Is it that they feel so comfortable being the cynosure of eyes of all parents that they keep asking questions, the answers to which were sent both by diary and e-messages. I have never understood, but well, parents are a strange species.
So coming back to the report cards, now the kids have grades. Yes, marks are there in individual subjects but no ranks. The teacher also has no clue who the overall toppers are in terms of marks. I can see that the kids are relaxed though some of the parents incessantly query the teacher wanting to find out exactly where their child stood in class. I guess, it is difficult for us to discard the ranking system easily. It makes us antsy if we don’t know where our child is placed in the order of things in the Universe. 🙂
While the pressure on the students is significantly reduced and so is the competition at least in the lower classes, the grind is still the same in higher classes. As my son moves to 8th Grade, I learned about coaching classes. Many parents seemed keen on them and I wondered why? 8th is too young isn’t it? Apparently they have preparatory classes for IIT entrance from 6th standard onwards these days. Well, I am not putting my children in a pressure cooker so all they will do in these vacations is play cricket with friends, TT and badminton with parents (spare time willing) and generally fool around. The younger one is keen on learning swimming.
And guess what, the elder son scored higher in Kannada compared to Hindi! Looks like it is time I taught him Hindi from next year onwards.
For now, it is summer vacation time. Let the fun begin while I figure out how to stay sane the next two months. 🙂
Oh you are one rare exception! I hated exams then and I am not fond of them now, because I have to teach kids now which means I need to study even though I get no marks 🙁
I hate their exams now because I have to teach them at least the younger one. The elder one mostly studies himself. God bless him.
So, I know how you feel. 🙂
The only thing that made me ‘like’ exams was the vacation that often followed 🙂
In some ways, I reckon the grading system is so much better. Have a good vacation, Rachna!
Yep, that part was the icing on the cake. When I spoke about liking exams, I merely implied in school. They did get strenuous with Boards and stuff. Yes, I prefer the grading system too. I only wish there was some way in which the pressure of Board exams and the whole rigmarole could be made better. You have a good vacation too,Sid. Stay safe and sane. 😉
OMG! I have always hated exams! I loved school and college, but I have always had a feeling all those exams never did justice! It was not about measuring skills or growing up a wise generation! It was all about grades and scores 🙁
Though things have changed to a far extend now, I am hoping we have an even better education system soon 🙂
Happy vacation to you and the boys 🙂
Oh, they also worry about marks but it starts by 9th and 10th grades now. I prefer the curriculum and the extra curricular activities now. There are many things that need to be changes in the education system.
Thanks for the wishes. 🙂
The best thing about final exam is, it is followed by the summer vacations. I have fond memories of my vacations as we used to travel to my nani’s place in Orissa and the entire time was spend in playing, enjoying, dancing doing all sorts of extra curricular activities. with my cousins.
Yes, the vacations were the best. Unfortunately these days, we hardly have the luxury of long vacations at relatives’ houses. Everyone works and is busy. I do miss those lovely vacations at my nana’s house too.
IIT preparatory classes during 6th standard??? My goodness, Such parents need to relax, take a vacation. Seriously?
You might be feeling little sad that Sid scored more in Kannada than Hindi, but I am feeling extremely happy about it :-p 🙂
You go boy, I am proud of you 🙂
Probably he can teach Kannada to some blind-Kannada-lovers who does nothing but shouting/ militancy to promote the language instead of reading it and enjoying it and spreading the joy 🙂
Anyway enjoy your holidays 🙂
heheh Bhavana. He worked hard and also took help of a neighbor because we both could not help him. I actually felt very proud that he did well. I hope he gets better in spoken Kannada soon. I was always very clear that both my kids would study Kannada in school. Most of his classmates chose Sanskrit though. I will convey your wishes to him. 🙂 I know what you say about militancy. I wish people would share and promote the love of the language and encourage everyone to learn it instead of yelling and shouting like you pointed out. Hope you are having fun through your sabbatical.
Rachna, yes, I am kind of enjoying the break 🙂
I will be studying my final paper (all by myself! 🙁 ) to finish my Diploma from ACCA 🙂 So I will have hands full. Waiting for my course materials from PWC 🙂
For the first time in my life I am studying something which I enjoy very much, unlike during my school and college days, I was so unsure then.
Also trying to relax my mind, I am brisk walking a lot every day, it is making me feel relaxed. Will be taking out my bike now that spring is here. Kiran has promised me to accompany me to play squash.
At times this breaks gets on my nerves but over all I think I am handling it OK 🙂
Good luck. I am sure you will do well. 🙂
I used to love exams for the exact reasons that you have listed, all except the maths exam. I hated it specially because my brother wanted me to write the answers for him to check if they were right and it was ‘doomed if I did’, ‘ doomed if I didn’t’. I share your idea of a vacation for the kids when all they should have is fun. Hope they don’t have too much homework.
Have a wonderful vacation with the kids 🙂
hehe You had to do that for your brother? Poor you. Oh they don’t have any homework at all. They are in complete masti mode at the moment. 🙂 Thanks.
Rachna, congrats that both your boys did well in their finals. Till a few years back result day was so thrilling. Now it is a mere formality.
It is a formality now. But, no one is complaining. I am happy that the kids are not stressed about studies. 🙂
Your post made do a time travel. How times have changed. I remember, as the school bus reached our stop and we saw Mom standing there, we would put on gloomy faces. She’d ask us anxiously about the result and imagine the worst and then we’d burst out laughing and gladly share the report card. IIT coaching from 6th?? Does the child even knows what IIT is at that age? Vacations are meant to be enjoyed. But yes, parents have to find ways to keep themselves sane during the vacations these days! Enjoy your vacations! 🙂
Oh yes, Shilpa, that putting up a gloomy face was fun, no? Exactly my question! The child does not know but the parents are raring to go. Yeah, I know, keeping ourselves sane during the vacations is a task I set for myself every summer. 🙂 Thanks and look forward to meeting you.
I actually love exams. I can’t believe I am saying it but I loved slogging late nights to study 😛 The ranking system does take a toll. I am glad they are trying to do away with it.
Ah, so you loved exams too. 🙂
Yes, I agree. Doing away with ranks is very nice.
In my case I Love exam but hate result..But as usual this post is also perfect. Thanks for sharing with us @Rachna
Thanks.
With the stress of examinations and the rank aspirations in the back burner,have fun and enjoy the vacation with children.
Thanks, KP Sir.
Lucky Children!
An whiff of nostalgia, though exams and ranks are not the most pleasant of my memories. Comes of having a dad, who believed rather thoroughly in “Spare the rod and spoil the child’ 🙂
Oh man. Luckily, my parents were hardly worried about marks or results. 🙂
Glad the ranking system is done away with! I am not ready for that stress again 😉 But, I used to enjoy exams surely. See, we are more alike than you know ! Gy is also chilling out completely during this vacation. Ah, holidays!
Glad to meet a fellow exam lover. 🙂 Yep, I am happy not to undergo that stress though I know that the Board exams are another baby altogether. Hope all of you have fun this summer.
Thanks for reminding those days, Rachna. My mother used to worry about my performance every time as she knew what i would have scrored 😛
Btw, i was in 70-80% bracket most of the time, but couldn’t make her proud those days.
hehe Alok. I think most parents were that way except mine. For some reason, they were almost detached. They didn’t even worry about whether we had studied or slept off. And there were no pressures about results at home. 🙂
You liked exams, crazy girl?!!! 😀
I’m glad the ordeal, yes ordeal! is over!! And, also glad that grades rather than percentages have been introduced! Parents need to understand that the only person their child should be competing with is themselves- bettering themselves at subjects they are already good at and getting help for subjects for they are not!
hehe I did. Like you pointed out and I have said in the post, I liked to compete with myself. 🙂 These days, they have continuous assessment as well hence it is not only final exams that decide if they go to the next class. BTW, there is no detention either even if you fail and co-curricular activities are quite nice. Overall, the curriculum is nice but certainly not taxing, which is quite good.
Bleddy scorpio!! 🙂
Same to you. 😀
Grading system has been adopted all across the country? Or only in some schools? My sister in law’s kids in Mumbai still have to deal with the ranking system. It is just too much pressure on the kiddos. 🙁
I can’t say about every place, but I know that CBSE schools in Bangalore have had it for a while. I studies in Mumbai too, in ICSE. Yes, the pressure is substantially reduced. I just wish that something could be done about the Boards and subsequent competitive exams as well.
You brought up some memories of school days, Rachna! Some good memories, and some not so much – like the night before Mathematics exam for me!
Like you I also wonder why some parents feel the need to start all this coaching business as early as class 6th or 8th? So much pressure at that tender age can be brutal for some kids.
It can be, Beloo. I see kids staying till 5 pm in schools with extra preparatory classes. Don’t know if their parents force them for the sake of future careers. I somehow find it very hard to do so.
I too don’t believe in sending children to tuition/coaching classes from lower classes. One of my neighbour lady is a CA. She sends her 4th std. son to maths tution in the evenings, 3 times a week. He doesn’t listen to her if she teaches him it seems. Whatever they learn in school is more than enough. We can help them out a bit in their homework. Starting IIT coaching from 6th stad. is too much.
It is good that your children are going to play and enjoy their holidays, thouroughly. Yours are one of the lucky children.
Thanks, Sandhya. I think some parents are extremely driven and they have everything planned for their kids. You and I are just a bit laid back. 🙂
Loved the post.. specially the ending..!!
Report card days are truly dreaded by children.. but grades have really eased the pressure!
Cheers
Thanks, Geets. True that.
Liked the way you ended.. 🙂
Thanks.
Rachna you belong to a rare tribe-liking exams!
This system of grades -somehow i prefer ranks–the child and the parents know where he stands.
And this strategy of pulling back children to schools on the pretext of one hobby class or another,it denies them any reprieve.Your kids are lucky to have you.
Thank you, Indu, for the warm words. I think grades work better for children. They definitely feel less stress. Also they have continuous assessment which is better in a way and avoids overemphasis on a particular exam.
Nostalgia swept past as I read through the post! Grading as important and if children learn it early in life it helps to push themselves! However, I do not favor pushing to the extent that makes them work from class VI onwards preparing for IITs!
Completely agree, Rahul.
That was nostalgic! In our school, the top three ranks across all sections used to be announced in school assembly, so the rank holders were literally on top of the world, aka, the stage. 🙂 I agree that sometimes parents tend to put more pressure on kids as compared to teachers.
Ah! That must have been even more fun for the rank holders. 🙂 I guess some parents are really driven.
I loved getting the marks of subjects in which I had done well. 😀 Maths was a nightmare ! You took me back in time, really. And yes, parents who sit for hours and discuss their child in-depth, for hours..oh god, there were such specimens when I was in school too. Thankfully, my parents were pretty chilled out just like you are with your kids. Wishing your little boys fun-filled holidays. And may the force be with you. Stay sane! 😉
Thanks, DC. Glad to see you after a while. How is everything?
All good, Rachna. I will be flying to Muscat (to my hubby) in a few weeks. 🙂
exams are never interesting for me,i used to get bored with the exam preparation. i was really fond of lab practicals,they used to interest me a lot. i read my subject books just like a magazine and used to write in my own words instead of producing the same.my school used to send final exams marks and rank through post during summer vacation.people never used to bother ranks after vacation.but mid-semester and 1st semester exams marks and ranks were announced in the class.my class teacher in 5th grade used to select first 5 rankers as leaders and used to assign few students to each leader to conduct assignments and to teach concepts during lunch break (1hour) which they don’t understand in class.i used to get 4th and 3rd rank,i was fond of applying concepts instead of holding a top rank.
summer vacation was too long around 75 days for cbse schools,i used to play carroms with my dad,brother and sister.parent involvement in playing games will always make child grow with greater responsibility.we used to play cricket only after 4pm,it was too warm summer in my place.my dad never allowed me to go out in hot sun coz i fell sick playing cricket during summers.the concept of summer camps sounds very superficial for me.i came to know about iit only in 10nth grade. i always felt what’s fun in spending all your teenage life in coaching centres,anyone who pursues his/her instinct as career will be most successful,for this one need not slog all their teenage years.living life without comparisons is most happiest.
I loved practicals too. Yes, I remember spending my vacation in my childhood playing carrom, scrabble etc.
The cycle of life as a student..very nostalgic moments!
Thanks, Sunita.
you are special man…who would love exams? yuckkk…I always hated them and hate them even now. That’s why I dread writing any certifications. I think I am due for another in an year. The citizenship exam…Yeah..these days kids have grades and lot less stressful on them. My son had some chapter test in math the other day and he got a 100%. I saw an email from the teacher saying, there will be re-test for those who want to take it again. I asked him, if he was taking. he goes….no wayyy…do you think I am a fool to take it again when I scored a 100%? hehehe…typical mom..typical son. 😛 Happy Holidays, btw…hope you come out sane and alive by the end of them. This holidays, planning to scrub and rub him in English writing…let me see how far I will be successful….other than that, he will be goofing around the whole day at day care anyway 😉
I think vacations should be enjoyed as vacations and you are doing the right thing… Have a great summer with your kids and family
My comments seem to be losing their way as soon as I post them here…
I think it’s great you are not putting your kids in the pressure cooker, I find it ridiculous this IIT coaching from the 6th grystem has been implemented…
Enjoy the vacation time Rachna 🙂
Oh is it? And suddenly I see three comments from you. Hope you are having fun too.
Haha. You actually liked exams? Now I know one person who does 🙂
It’s good that the authorities have opted for grades than for ranks, some children (and parents) take it way too seriously. Thankfully, my parents never put a lot of pressure on me 🙂
There are more. See the comments. 🙂 Oh yes some parents take it too seriously. But the sad part is that they drive their kids nuts even with the grade system.
Interesting 🙂 I loved exams for another reason – for the satisfaction of a completion of a project, i.e. they teach us something, we study, they examine us, we pass, end of story. Then I can get excited about the start of another project….hmmm, so was I excited about the completion, or the next new beginning…anyway… 🙂
While I appreciate that these days schools are paying attention to children future professional development (that was unheard of in my days), I think it’s done in a directive instead of nurturing manner. I mean, they push you to choose a direction and follow it, instead of presenting many and various options to the kids and watch for which talents your child would enjoys applying…
We used to have a lot of rote learning in my days, Iliana. I am happy that the curriculum is more application based now. I actually hate these integrated classes where they push certain career-based classes. I completely agree with what you say. Present options and help the child match their talents and aptitude with the right career not the most lucrative one. Nice to see you here after a while. How have you been?
FB PM 🙂