The pressure to be a ‘good student’

At last, someone prominent in society has underlined a grave social anomaly which has been robbing our young form the pleasure of growing up for decades. The need to be the top student in a class has always remained a major demand of parents, irrespective of their social strata. At convocation event, noted political scientist Dr. Rounaq Jahan has underlined our obsession with high grades and exalted academic achievements.

Of course, those who excel in exams and in school, college and university need to be given the acknowledgement but there is no need to propagate the rather dated belief that unless a person has the right results s/he will not be able to make any contribution to society.

In fact, like Dr Jahan, many other noted social thinkers should also come forward and address the absolute fanatical belief resolving around what society paints as the ‘good student’.

Old proverb at the root

All those who grew up in the sixties, seventies and the eighties are well aware of the oft used proverb by parents: lekha pora kore je, gari ghora chore shei, (attentive in education, ensures, wealth, cars and social position). This line has been propagated with such vehemence that while social mores evolved, this one belief remained firm, helped to an even more secure place by successive generations of parents and guardians.

Back in the decade after the war, this line probably had some practical value since in a country ravaged by conflict, facing woes of all kinds, the only way someone could ensure a livelihood was by being brilliant in academia. In such cases, there were two to three roads open to them: they could sit for the civil service exam and get a government job and be secured for life, enter the academic realm as a teacher and be socially established or, join the defence forces.

Options were limited with a very harsh division of students: the good ones with high grades and the ones with low marks. Thinking back in retrospect, within social circles, the epithet ‘bhalo chhatro’ was tantamount to a top merit award. This title had to be optimised to the hilt to ensure a sound livelihood.

In our blinkered outlook, we developed almost mythical adoration for the good students constantly telling them that they are the ones who will shine in life, treating the others with unpardonable disdain.

Oke diye kichu hobe na (s/he is good for nothing). In this rather heartless tirade, parents mocked those not academically bright with the line: maathae gobor (head is full of cow dung).

In this unfair treatment, the unfortunate ones with the low grades and average results in exams were made to believe that they will be good for nothing.  

By the way, cow dung has many practical usages: in making fertiliser, bio gas and insect repellent.  

Maybe all those guardians and parents should look at a number of ultra- wealthy sport personalities and entrepreneurs who defied relentless discouragement and became astoundingly successful. Does anyone bother about their academic certificates?

The survival first instinct in the post liberation period

For a certain period of time, the idea that unless one has extraordinary results, s/he will not be able to make it through life proved to be correct, simply because Bangladesh was still detached from the world, a country desperately trying to survive after the war. In that precarious scenario, very few could actually dare to challenge convention. This is exactly why the millennium generation has so many talented people in arts, sports, culture, film-making and photography whereas the generations of the seventies and eighties were mainly focused on traditional ways of earning.

In the austerity driven time after liberation, when a large homogeneous middle class had almost similar earnings and desires, life was not about carving out a new path, it was about biting the bullet and carrying on living.

Citizens of a devastated country with pervasive poverty, we grew up with the feeling that all things foreign were superior, foreigners always very rich with enough money to spend on personal pleasures, young people in other nations talented to pursue fascinating professions like journalism, sport and music.

Results versus the inner desire:

This is one conflict everyone faces at some point of life: do I sacrifice my desire to pursue something about which I am not passionate?

In these cases, I am sorry to say, guardians hardly offer a rational middle ground. In the eighties, in our teens, we found that sport, acting or any creative field was never encouraged by parents. Consequently, millions of talented young people who excelled in games just cut off that side of their lives to follow the ‘results first’ path as directed by most parents. A healthy middle ground could have ensured both but there are countless instances when I saw fathers and mothers beating up young boys for showing too much passion for sports or the guitar.

To them: results in school, college or university meant an assurance to success later in life.

Talk to top sportsmen and women now and you will find that most of them actually came from low income backgrounds and, were allowed to take up sports simply because their skills ensured early income for the family.

If their guardians had any other way, they would not have ended in sport.

It was determined by social circumstances, not by choice!

Even in this age of liberal thought, upper middle class urbanites are wary of allowing their sons or daughters to pursue their creative impulses.

A rational middle approach in essential:

The reality is that no matter how many social thinkers try to erase outmoded concepts, the idea that academic excellence trumps all others is something that is ensconced in our credo. So, instead of trying to uproot it, let’s make a concerted effort to find a middle path – a way through which someone can also have the liberty to pursue his/her inner desires. This can be acting, playing an instrument, writing, making short films or even collecting something.

I am not saying that all creative people will rise to the top but at least, once they know they are not academic result producing machines, these young people will learn to live life and not just be the vessels of social prestige for their parents to flaunt.

And by the way, does anyone ask any member of the Bangladesh cricket team, singer James, Ayyub Bachchu, actor Ferdous, Purnima, Poppy, Porimoni, ramp model Irin, Shokh or the young journalists covering events live for TV channels what their academic results were?

Academia and creative impulses should be combined and then, life will show which becomes more prominent after a certain time.

Good students should be promoted as well as creative thinkers and youngsters with artistic, sporting and cultural prowess.

Everyone has some hidden quality, let’s explore that instead of killing it. Let’s strike out the ‘good student’ from our books; academically talented and creatively driven sound much more optimistic.

The writer is a journalist and teacher,  Email: [email protected]

 

 

The pressure to be a good student

At last, someone prominent in society has underlined a grave social anomaly which has been robbing our young form the pleasure of growing up for decades. The need to be the top student in a class has always remained a major demand of parents, irrespective of their social strata. At convocation event, noted political scientist Dr. Rounaq Jahan has underlined our obsession with high grades and exalted academic achievements. Of course, those who excel in exams and in school, college and university need to be given the acknowledgement but there is no need to propagate the rather dated belief that unless a person has the right results s/he will not be able to make any contribution to society. In fact, like Dr Jahan, many other noted social thinkers should also come forward and address the absolute fanatical belief resolving around what society paints as the good student. Old proverb at the root All those who grew up in the sixties, seventies and the eighties are well aware of the oft used proverb by parents: lekha pora kore je, gari ghora chore shei, (attentive in education, ensures, wealth, cars and social position). This line has been propagated with such vehemence that while social mores evolved, this one belief remained firm, helped to an even more secure place by successive generations of parents and guardians. Back in the decade after the war, this line probably had some practical value since in a country ravaged by conflict, facing woes of all kinds, the only way someone could ensure a livelihood was by being brilliant in academia. In such cases, there were two to three roads open to them: they could sit for the civil service exam and get a government job and be secured for life, enter the academic realm as a teacher and be socially established or, join the defence forces. Options were limited with a very harsh division of students: the good ones with high grades and the ones with low marks. Thinking back in retrospect, within social circles, the epithet bhalo chhatro was tantamount to a top merit award. This title had to be optimised to the hilt to ensure a sound livelihood. In our blinkered outlook, we developed almost mythical adoration for the good students constantly telling them that they are the ones who will shine in life, treating the others with unpardonable disdain. Oke diye kichu hobe na (s/he is good for nothing). In this rather heartless tirade, parents mocked those not academically bright with the line: maathae gobor (head is full of cow dung). In this unfair treatment, the unfortunate ones with the low grades and average results in exams were made to believe that they will be good for nothing. By the way, cow dung has many practical usages: in making fertiliser, bio gas and insect repellent. Maybe all those guardians and parents should look at a number of ultra- wealthy sport personalities and entrepreneurs who defied relentless discouragement and became astoundingly successful. Does anyone bother about their academic certificates? The survival first instinct in the post liberation period For a certain period of time, the idea that unless one has extraordinary results, s/he will not be able to make it through life proved to be correct, simply because Bangladesh was still detached from the world, a country desperately trying to survive after the war. In that precarious scenario, very few could actually dare to challenge convention. This is exactly why the millennium generation has so many talented people in arts, sports, culture, film-making and photography whereas the generations of the seventies and eighties were mainly focused on traditional ways of earning. In the austerity driven time after liberation, when a large homogeneous middle class had almost similar earnings and desires, life was not about carving out a new path, it was about biting the bullet and carrying on living. Citizens of a devastated country with pervasive poverty, we grew up with the feeling that all things foreign were superior, foreigners always very rich with enough money to spend on personal pleasures, young people in other nations talented to pursue fascinating professions like journalism, sport and music. Results versus the inner desire: This is one conflict everyone faces at some point of life: do I sacrifice my desire to pursue something about which I am not passionate? In these cases, I am sorry to say, guardians hardly offer a rational middle ground. In the eighties, in our teens, we found that sport, acting or any creative field was never encouraged by parents. Consequently, millions of talented young people who excelled in games just cut off that side of their lives to follow the results first path as directed by most parents. A healthy middle ground could have ensured both but there are countless instances when I saw fathers and mothers beating up young boys for showing too much passion for sports or the guitar. To them: results in school, college or university meant an assurance to success later in life. Talk to top sportsmen and women now and you will find that most of them actually came from low income backgrounds and, were allowed to take up sports simply because their skills ensured early income for the family. If their guardians had any other way, they would not have ended in sport. It was determined by social circumstances, not by choice! Even in this age of liberal thought, upper middle class urbanites are wary of allowing their sons or daughters to pursue their creative impulses. A rational middle approach in essential: The reality is that no matter how many social thinkers try to erase outmoded concepts, the idea that academic excellence trumps all others is something that is ensconced in our credo. So, instead of trying to uproot it, lets make a concerted effort to find a middle path a way through which someone can also have the liberty to pursue his/her inner desires. This can be acting, playing an instrument, writing, making short films or even collecting something. I am not saying that all creative people will rise to the top but at least, once they know they are not academic result producing machines, these young people will learn to live life and not just be the vessels of social prestige for their parents to flaunt. And by the way, does anyone ask any member of the Bangladesh cricket team, singer James, Ayyub Bachchu, actor Ferdous, Purnima, Poppy, Porimoni, ramp model Irin, Shokh or the young journalists covering events live for TV channels what their academic results were? Academia and creative impulses should be combined and then, life will show which becomes more prominent after a certain time. Good students should be promoted as well as creative thinkers and youngsters with artistic, sporting and cultural prowess. Everyone has some hidden quality, lets explore that instead of killing it. Lets strike out the good student from our books; academically talented and creatively driven sound much more optimistic. The writer is a journalist and teacher, Email: [email protected]