Exams are always stressful. Even the most studious students will vouch for that, perhaps even more so than the so-called "mediocre" ones, who sometimes don’t care as much. The moment I wrote the word "mediocre", I realised I was guilty of exactly what I am arguing against, categorising young people into rigid slots of "success" and "failure." In the context of the SSC exams, these categories are starkly demarcated: "GPA 5" and "non-GPA 5".
With the recent publication of the SSC results, this cruel dichotomy has resurfaced. Students who passed with flying colours flashed the V-for-Victory sign in front of media cameras, their photographs splashed across front pages of the news dailies. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, those who didn’t attain that hallowed GPA 5 hung their heads in shame, were made to feel small and inadequate. They failed to fit into the mould that society deems correct, falling short of the so-called benchmark of success.
I do not wish to detract from the hard-earned achievements of those who performed brilliantly, especially in a year where, refreshingly, there was no apparent political compulsion to inflate results as proof of a flawless education system. In fact, the rise in lower scores this year may be a blessing in disguise, laying bare the fragile state of our education system, and hopefully prompting pra ctical steps to fix it and better prepare children for the realities of life.
That’s one way to look at the poor performance this year. But what about the broken confidence of students who didn’t do well, those labelled "mediocre" or "failures"? Many were likely deprived of proper guidance, quality teaching, or were simply not academically inclined. They may possess other talents and hidden strengths that go unrecognised because they don’t fit the narrow definition of the “ideal student.”
When the very first public exam in their lives teaches them that they are failures, second-class citizens in the hierarchy of achievement, the emotional fallout is immense. Shame, anger, pain, and humiliation crash down upon them.
Worse still is when parents, teachers, or elders do not support them during this time of distress. What these children need is comfort and encouragement, a reminder that they can improve, that they have unique strengths worth developing, and that there is more to life than a GPA 5.
It is our system that teaches us we must become doctors, engineers, MBAs, IT specialists, civil servants -- fixed bricks in a wall of socially approved professions. Yes, the school of hard knocks shows us that a decent education can help secure a decent life. But that’s exactly where the system has failed us.
We don’t need to look to Europe or America to understand that vocational education is a vital pillar of a functional education system. Not everyone needs a university degree to succeed. Yet in our country, vocational training carries a stigma, something looked down upon, considered second-rate.
And yet, we find hope. Young girls and boys across Bangladesh are refusing to become just another brick in the wall. Without academic accolades or fancy degrees, many are freelancing for global companies, often earning more than their peers with prestigious educational credentials. They find these avenues of employment by themselves, equip themselves with online training and go for it!
Of course, we need doctors, engineers, IT experts, and civil servants. But we also need skilled technicians, mechanics, caregivers, designers, builders, specialists with hands-on training. The demand for such professionals is growing rapidly, as are their earnings, but not their social recognition.
There’s plenty of talk about “skills development,” but it must be matched by social awareness and genuine acceptance. We need to break the cycle of academic elitism and recognise the dignity of all work.
Back in 1979, the rock band Pink Floyd released "Another Brick in the Wall". The lyrics come to mind every time SSC or HSC results are published:
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teacher, leave them kids alone
Hey, teacher, leave them kids alone
All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall.
Let’s ensure our children aren’t turned into just another brick in that wall.
* Ayesha Kabir is the head of Prothom Alo English online