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There are numerous means for an individual to acquire knowledge and although we are gaining knowledge every minute from various resources, the school happens to be the primary and most common reservoir of knowledge. We attend school to learn new things, to groom our personalities, to refine our ideas and to prepare ourselves for all of lifes challenges. The knowledge being imparted in schools advances with every grade, broadening our perspectives and bringing newer facts and figures to our notice. However, with knowledge come the assessments and marks. They happen to be part and parcel of this wonderful learning journey. From the time our students begin their learning journey in school, the first and foremost thing they learn is that they will be assessed and marked on everything that goes on in the classroom and the mark sheets will be sent home to the parents for signatures. At home, they know their parents would evaluate their progress through their report cards. Thus begins a mad race to top in class every year. And in doing so the students forget the main purpose of attending schoolto acquire and cherish knowledge. Saima Aslam, an eighth grader says, Its important that I gain good marks in exams otherwise I will be scolded by my parents. They are always concerned about my exam scores. Besides, marks speak a lot about where you stand in class. Class fellows respect you and take you seriously when you get good marks. This is a very banal thought pattern. Young people in Pakistan today tend to reflect less on what they are studying and emphasize more on what they should know for the exams in order to score good marks. The question that arises here is that are marks really a depiction of ones potential and intelligence? If yes, then why has the world experienced examples of geniuses who seem to have contradicted this answer? Take Albert Einsteins example. He did not speak until he was four and could not write until he was seven. His teachers and parents thought he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Thomas Edison was told by his teachers that he was too stupid. Winston Churchill struggled in school and failed sixth grade. Louis Pasteur was an ordinary student and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are both college dropouts. Marks are nothing but numbers. They do not necessarily test or represent a childs intelligence. They are obtained after answering a set of questions which prompt a child to recall what was taught in the class one or two months ago. How can you possibly label any child weak or brilliant only on the basis of exam questions? Potential is truly tested when one enters practical life. Good report cards and degrees (aptitude) wont help you then; your attitude is what will really matter then. However, we are compelled to appear for exams because parents and the educational systems require it, says Mrs. Iram Ali, an educationist. If academicians feel that marks do not judge a students capability and if students have taken exams more as a competition than as a part of the learning process, then why do parents, the third most
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important stakeholders of the learning triangle (teachers and students being the first two), focus so much on report cards? Mrs. Aslam, Saimas mother, says, We wouldnt really mind it if the institutions dont give exams or marks. All we want is for our child to progress in life. We would like to see Saima get admission in a renowned college or university and later be handsomely employed. For this she needs to work hard. A+ or a is a prerequisite for admission into a top college or university. They require commendable mark sheets for admissions. This is precisely what most parents think when sending their children to school. And in the cut-throat competitive world of today, their thinking is justified, too. They are only securing their wards future, however, what they overlook is how much knowledge their ward has acquired throughout his/her school, college and university days and whether their child is applying that knowledge in everyday life, essentially the main purpose of attending an institution. Colleges and universities do not only admit students with good marks, they prefer well-versed students who can be groomed into becoming confident, articulate and responsible citizens of this country also. Students can become well-versed only if they stop fretting over marks and develop an interest in whats happening in the classroom, reflect over it and then endeavor to implement it in their daily lives. Good grades are requisites. True. However, our entry tests are designed to solely test a students knowledge. They arent a test of the students memory but a test of what theyve understood in school. We need to prepare them for an extremely competitive job market around the world, says Salman, an administrative officer at a renowned higher education institution. Many employers have now shifted from CV-based recruitments to competency-based recruitments, which thoroughly evaluate each candidates skills, attitude, attributes and personal integrity. So whats become of the precious degrees our students strive to achieve almost one-fourth of their lives? Degrees help us [employers] in sieving the most appropriate candidates from the rest. They show that job seekers know what the books in their chosen fields say. They help the candidates in winning an interview only but not the job. During the interview, its the candidates knowledge which counts. You can tell if he/she has been rote learning or understanding, says Sara, an HR officer in a leading multinational company. This reminds me of the Bollywood movie 3 Idiots which has very clearly conveyed the message about gaining knowledge. If you have knowledge, your assessment, exams and entry tests will all go well. Expand your knowledge bank by reading more and experimenting and contribute in taking your country forward
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