“I couldn't care less about good marks. I want to learn.” - Maude Julien
So much importance our society has given to grades and marks that once you are done with your 10th or worse, 12th grade, the first question you get asked is 'How much was your percentage?' Never are we ever asked if we enjoyed that academic year or what our favourite subject was that year.
And if we haven't scored over 80% the kind of looks we get are so piteous, as though we are on our death bed. All those relatives who don't remember so much as our birth dates remember to call on the day of the results. I mean give us a break.
The most basic values are not given any consideration if it is someone who has scored a good GPA.
To results there are three basic phases:
Before the result
While checking the result
After the result
Now, one day prior to the result, there are family and friends who seem to wishing to add to our nervousness. They begin calling, sending messages and what not. It is indeed very scary how some people we've met just twice or thrice are so interested in how much we score.
Next, while checking the result. This is the scariest phase. All sorts of thoughts begin to swarm in, 'What if I fail?', 'I hope I have done decent in math', 'Will the neighbour's kid do better than me?' just to name a few. The way our hands shake while clicking on 'View Result' is one terrifying sight.
Last but not the least, after the result. After the result, the first thing you get to hear is 'Sally scored 5% more than you did'. And then the comparison begins (and there's no end to it).
This is how much importance is given to getting an A1 rather than knowing what we actually have written. After all, when it comes to jobs, it's the practical application of what we've been taught.
Hence, I can conclude that a society that give importance to the grade scored instead of the practical use of the knowledge gained or moral values is unhealty, for everyone.
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