Exam-centric education: Pressure taking away pleasure
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
August 20, 2022

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022
Exam-centric education: Pressure taking away pleasure

Education

Ummay Marzan Jui
13 November, 2019, 02:20 pm
Last modified: 13 November, 2019, 02:22 pm

Related News

  • Taliban fighters swap arms for books as hundreds return to school
  • ‘Private universities should be allowed to run PhD programmes’
  • Admission tests underway at Cumilla University
  • Things that can be done for education and tourism development in Khagrachari
  • Bangladesh's first robotics school in Cumilla

Exam-centric education: Pressure taking away pleasure

The normalisation of the image of small children carrying oversized schoolbags, getting into rat race at an early age – are gradually erasing the notion of childhood

Ummay Marzan Jui
13 November, 2019, 02:20 pm
Last modified: 13 November, 2019, 02:22 pm
Exam-centric education: Pressure taking away pleasure

A good child is defined by the number of hours s/he is glued to a chair in cramming his/her lessons. The millennial parents are driven by the desire to see their children at the top. To get the drift of what's transpire in the name of education in this clime one must take account of the mounting pressure on children.

In an exam-centric environment many things go wrong. Parents are constantly being troubled by issues, real and imaginary. Additionally, biased behaviour of certain teachers and peer pressure throw up problems for children and parents alike.

The normalisation of the image of small children carrying oversized schoolbags, getting into rat race at an early age – are gradually erasing the notion of childhood.

A six-year-old sits for an admission test with a throbbing heart instead of enjoying filling out an answer sheet. Questions automatically arise: What is s/he learning in life? How are they dealing with such pressure? What are the physical and mental impacts of all this on them?

This pressure of exams creates anxiety in children which psychologists call "performance anxiety."

Anxiety is purely contagious. Most parents carry this "larva" of anxiety and "spread" it among their children. Unhealthy competition, comparison and peer pressure are the means through which to spread it.

As children are not mature enough to deal with the pressure, it gets into their nerves and some of them fail badly in the process. And, after that if they go through any tantrums, it affects their mental health as well.

To get out of this, like all other human beings, children also look for entertainment. Nevertheless, a lack of entertainment leads them to inadequacy and they keep cramming but end up forgetting.

"Learning requires a fresh mind. But if there is no refreshment, how would they learn and remember things? Parents need to ensure healthy entertainment and also introduce them to failure so that they can accept things easily," said Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, associate professor of the Department of Child Adolescent & Family Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health.

Learning has been replaced by cramming because of guidebooks and coaching centres.

According to the law, printing, publishing, selling and distributing guidebooks are strictly prohibited since 1980. Still, guidebooks are available in the market. As things cannot be changed overnight, steps need to be taken and examples need to be set by the government as well as social actors if we want change.

Syeda Tahmina Akhter, professor and director of the Institution of Education and Research, University of Dhaka, said, "Other than these guidebooks, children need to be taught value education since childhood, whereas we prepare them for admission tests. In countries like Japan, Australia, America, there is curriculum and monitoring boards for value education. If we are to emulate others, we need to emulate good traits from the developed countries."

The motto of education is not to traumatise children. Parents, teachers and peers can play a vital role here as their compassionate behaviour might make them feel at ease. Encouragement will help in a better way than bullying and taunting.

"Children should not be judged through an evaluation system because it makes them feel inferior. We evaluate a child with the system named admission test even before they enter the academic life. Whereas their mental health should get prioritised, instead we are prioritising evaluation," said Md Fazlur Rahman, professor of the Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka.

The anxiety of exam is hindering children's mental growth. As it is materially invisible, it does not mean that its impact is not visible.

After every board exams or admission tests, we find news of suicides. Is it just a result of one board exam or the series of exams that started at the age of six? Isn't it the consequence of the huge pressure that they feel because of the "performance anxiety"?

Maybe it is time to think. So, think again.

Features / Top News

anxiety / Education / Examination

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Stories beneath the trade data
    Stories beneath the trade data
  • India also will be ashamed of FM Momen’s statement: Quader
    India also will be ashamed of FM Momen’s statement: Quader
  • Logo of BNP
    BNP slams Momen for 'asking India to keep PM Hasina's govt in power'

MOST VIEWED

  • Duolingo launches English learning course for Bangla speakers
    Duolingo launches English learning course for Bangla speakers
  • Photo: Courtesy
    IIUC students get Wamy scholarship 
  • The members of BracU Dichari in Poland for the ERL Championship Round. Photo: Courtesy
    BracU Dichari: A Bangladeshi robotics team on the world stage
  • Photo: PR
    AIUB, USB Certification, Türkiye sign MoU for textile, fabric lab
  • Photo: Courtesy
    EWU arranges a memorial speech on National Day of Mourning
  • ULAB and US embassy conduct joint first aid training
    ULAB and US embassy conduct joint first aid training

Related News

  • Taliban fighters swap arms for books as hundreds return to school
  • ‘Private universities should be allowed to run PhD programmes’
  • Admission tests underway at Cumilla University
  • Things that can be done for education and tourism development in Khagrachari
  • Bangladesh's first robotics school in Cumilla

Features

Illustration: TBS

China-Bangladesh currency clearance agreement can increase trade by 'an unimaginable scale': Li Jiming, Ambassador of China

17h | Interviews
Postcrossing (which connects people through its website) is a system built for postcard enthusiasts, where anyone can sign up and create an account for free. Photo: Noor A Alam

Postcrossers: Reviving a lost art with strangers and postcards

16h | Panorama
We will be facing massive, recurring challenges in the coming years no matter what. Photo: Reuters

Holes in the recession story

1d | Panorama
Illustration: Bloomberg

What nonmonogamy can teach moonlighters and job jugglers

1d | Pursuit

More Videos from TBS

Amazing folding smartphone

Amazing folding smartphone

8h | Videos
How Russia gets advantage for geographical location?

How Russia gets advantage for geographical location?

10h | Videos
Is textbooks enough for students?

Is textbooks enough for students?

10h | Videos
134-year-old traditional sandwich of New York

134-year-old traditional sandwich of New York

15h | Videos

Most Read

1
From left Afzal Karim, Murshedul Kabir and Mohammad Jahangir
Banking

Sonali, Agrani and Rupali banks get new MDs

2
Russia now offers Bangladesh finished oil
Energy

Russia now offers Bangladesh finished oil

3
Photo: TBS
Bangladesh

5 crushed to death as BRT girder falls on car in Uttara

4
Photo: Collected
Economy

Bangladesh is not in a crisis situation: IMF

5
Migrant workers. Photo: UNB
Migration

Can Bangladesh benefit from Canada’s 10 lakh job vacancies?

6
Eight more banks make unusual gains from forex dealings
Banking

Eight more banks make unusual gains from forex dealings

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2022
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]