Quite often we read in newspapers and hear through T.V. Channels about students losing their precious life just because of scoring less marks in exams. Such ridiculous acts on flimsy grounds do irritate us. Our faulty system of education is to be blamed on. It awards marks for memory skills and not for deep study and
learning. Students regurgitate notes and are upset when they score poor marks. These weak students think failure in exams is the end of the world.
When I was a student in Law College, I scored poor marks in the F.L. exam of the first year studies and failed. I could not digest my failure.
I wept shedding tears profusely. Right from my primary school studies upto my B.A. Honours and M.A., I had been the holder of the first rank. Hence, this
failure did shatter me. My well-wisher, erudite scholar Anaimalai A.N. Narasimhan wrote a letter consoling me and advised me to ignore that failure.
By introspection, I realized, I failed because I did not concentrate on my studies. I was restlessly involved in agitations along with Thanthai Periyar.
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I was busy in meetings and conferences, assisting Periyar and Maniammaiar. I skipped many of the law college classes. I prepared in a haphazard
manner just fifteen days before the annual exam and appeared with half-baked knowledge. I scored five marks less than the minimum
required and naturally failed. I had not even touched market guides called “Allahabad Series Notes” those days. Later, I worked hard and
passed my B.L. exam meritoriously.
I believe, every failure is an unpaid teacher. It makes us optimists. It becomes a stepping stone for success. A slip is not a fall.Infact falling is
also not a great disaster. Rising again and again would ultimately make us succeed. Parentsshould avoid rebuking children who are slow
learners. Recently a young girl committed suicide just because her parents refused to get a smart
phone for her.
A young boy did so when parents scolded him for using mobile phone at all times, neglecting studies. Because of mere fear of
failure in NEET, a girl took a similar decision. What a pity! A medical college student in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, committed suicide. Reason? The professor ordered him to have a haircut and come back to the class. How can this generation face serious problems and challenges
that they are sure to face in future?
Sometimes erroneous evaluation by teachers or faulty computerizing of marks is also possible. Hasty suicidal tendency is sheer idiocy. Maturity
of mind would help us endure failures. Parents are our first teachers but teachers are our second parents. Therefore teachers should make
students believe that every failure is a great stimulus. Every student must learn to accept failure and go ahead. Learning to live is more
important than living to learn.
Source: ‘Viduthalai’
