To begin with what are examinations? Examinations are a formal test of a persons knowledge or proficiency in a subject or skill.

But does it actually perform its duty? In todays society we all have the stereotypical image that without examinations education is lost. Without examinations, there is no success in life. But is this the truth? Has this stepped up the youth or only created a downfall? I believe that examinations are a bad influence on education. They may be a good test for a persons me mory but doesnt tell anything about a persons true ability and aptitude. Examinations follow a strict format that only confines us to the ability of answering those types of questions only. Examinations are confined to certain subjects only yet students have abilities for a wide range of activities. What happens to these children? Moreover examinations bring about the competitive mind that only harnesss ones education. The moment a child begins school, he enters a world of vicious competition where success and failure are clearly defined and measured. Education is the love of wanting to learn and explore but what examinations bring to the minds of the youth is to compete and succeed. These negative thoughts just pull us to a dark abyss where learning is only a game to win. Benjamin Franklin, Walt Disney and Bill Gates are all examples of successful people who dropped out of school. They had the freedom to explore in what they love to learn and hence their success in life. In addition, a good education should, among other things, train you to think for yourself. The examination system does anything but that. What has to be learnt is rigidly laid down by a syllabus, so the student is encouraged to memorize. Anything out of the topic is unanswerable. For example you study for an exam, sit and succeed with a good score. However, when faced with an interview for a job questions become unanswerable just because it is not related to your area you studied hence the job slips out of your hand just because you were not versatile in a wide range of subjects. This is what exams to do us. Examinations do not motivate a student to read widely, but to restrict his reading; they do not enable him to seek more and more knowledge, but induce cramming. They lower the standards of teaching, for they deprive the teacher of all freedom. Teachers themselves are often judged by examination results and instead of teaching their subjects, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques which they despise. School teachers who used to have passion for education are forced to give up doing activities in class because parents and students believe they wont help them get good scores on exams. Moreover, In some schools children sit for exams every month or even sometimes every week, this only ensures they are seated and choking up immense amounts of notes but what about their other duties that they have to commit? How are they going to learn to survive in the society? How are they going to learn to enhance mutual relationships and build healthy self-images? An exam doesnt teach us these. Exams destroy the ethics and value of education. What the educational system creates are great exam-taking machines instead of healthy, independent future ( ALETES) elites. Finally, students cannot stand the pressure coming from parents, teachers, peers, even themselves. Examination used to be taken as necessary evil, yet in the educational system; it is the root of all evils. Instead of creating exams-taking machines, the educational system should cultivate real elites, who have healthy self-image and positive attitude toward life, who think independently and critically, have sense of responsibility and thoughtful mind towards others and open mind to the future