Beyond the marks: Why India’s education system is failing the children

The dreaded board exam results of classes 10 and 12 were declared in India this week. Once again, students and parents were either elated or deeply disappointed with the outcome, as if it were life and death. Unfortunately in some cases, exam stress made it just that. A 17-year-old boy allegedly died by suicide by jumping from the 15th floor of his apartment building in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi. Media reports say he was upset because he scored 75 percent, which in the twisted world of our education system is akin to failure.

On the other hand, in Aligarh, an education officer celebrated his son’s 60 percent marks on the platform ‘X’, with a heartwarming message. He said “life is a test of patience, not knowledge. Children should be supported.”