Farfetched dreams through mismatched crossroads

As the annual board results season knocks on our doors, it brings with it a familiar frenzy—a high-stakes atmosphere where dinner table conversations turn into data comparisons and percentage becomes the buzzword of the entire family. Increasingly, it feels as though this number alone defines a student’s worth. 

Instead of being a safe harbour, many families—often unintentionally—fuel anxiety and stress around performance. The obsession with scoring above 90%, sometimes even chasing a perfect 100, takes a heavy toll on students. A minor slip begins to feel like a lifelong failure. Yet, we fail to recognise a simple truth — while percentages may open doors, they do not define the person who walks through them. 

Education, which should be a lifelong journey of learning, is gradually being overshadowed by examinations—mere snapshots meant to assess that journey. When exams dominate education, the focus shifts from learning for life to performing for marks. 

A recent conversation with a senior acquaintance brought this contrast into sharp focus. He recalled how boards like the UP Board and West Bengal Board were once considered extremely rigorous. Pass percentages hovered around 60–65%, and scoring in the 70s was rare and celebrated. Students with distinction marks secured admission into the finest professional colleges. A high second division was reason enough for celebration. Besides, the declaration of results used to be a unique blend of feverish excitement and quiet anxiety. The whole ritual centred around the popular daily, The National Herald. As midnight approached, the air grew thick with emotions and anticipation, till the newspapers finally arrived. The atmosphere became a whirlwind of mixed emotions; some heaved a sigh of relief and some would leave with a heavy heart. 

Evaluation, too, was a serious and demanding responsibility. Being selected as an examiner or head examiner used to be a badge of honour for teachers. It was seen as a validation of their subject expertise, professional integrity, and seniority. Highly experienced educators—including senior faculty and even vice-chancellors—were entrusted with roles such as paper setters and evaluators. The process demanded objectivity, stamina, and integrity. While it still is a significant responsibility, the prestige factor has shifted a bit. Teachers are forced to take up such serious assignments, even if they are half-baked for the job. At times, schools are penalised for not deputing teachers on evaluation duty. Teachers are often overburdened or inadequately prepared for evaluation duties, which inevitably impacts the quality and reliability of results. At times, we wonder if answer scripts, numbering in millions, can be evaluated in less than a month. Does it justify fairness and perfection? 

What we witness today is a paradox. Report cards are brighter than ever, and scores have reached astronomical levels, yet the depth of learning often seems to be declining. The ceiling of achievement is rising, but the foundation of education is weakening. Grade inflation has made marks a poor indicator of actual ability. 

The race for marks has turned education into a high-pressure, transactional system. A score of 90% is now seen as average, placing immense pressure on students. Even more concerning is the false sense of achievement high marks can create—until students face real-world challenges where percentages offer little support. 

It is deeply unsettling to see students with near-perfect scores struggle to articulate their thoughts, solve real-world problems, or navigate life with confidence. Many score full marks in languages like English, yet cannot communicate effectively. The disconnect between marks and mastery is glaring. 

Reading, once a gateway to exploration, has been reduced to scanning for keywords. Science, once a subject of curiosity and wonder, has become an exercise in memorisation. Practical learning has taken a back seat. 

It is time to shift our focus—from marks to meaningful education. 

We must equip students not just to score, but to think, adapt, and apply knowledge. They need to learn resilience, ethical decision-making, and problem-solving. The gap between skill and score must be bridged. True education nurtures curiosity and encourages exploration—even beyond what is tested. 

A child is not a benchmark to be measured, but a garden to be nurtured. 

Examination bodies must introspect and reorient towards holistic learning rather than numerical obsession. Reviving some of the rigorous and value-based practices of the past may help restore balance. Otherwise, we risk producing graduates rich in marks but poor in employable skills. All the worldly wise and learned people always maintain that one should carry a degree or certificate only if one can justify it. Otherwise, it is more of a disqualification than a qualification. 

It would not be out of place to mention that state boards should revamp the teaching-learning process and bring back the glory of the past. We agree that national boards are important, but state boards have their own flavour; some state boards gave a tough fight to the national boards. 

Let us celebrate effort over outcome, learning over scoring. Do not allow the ghost of perfect percentages to suffocate the spirit of education. 

After all, as American philospher and education reformer John Dewey put it,  “Education is not merely preparation for life—it is life itself.” 

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