Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal's idea of doing away with class 10 board exams has students, teachers and parents divided over the issue.
Neera Soni, a distraught mother if a student who committed suicide, finds it difficult to cope with the death of Sachin, her son. When Sachin saw the Class 10 board results on the Internet, he found out that he had failed in two subjects, following which, he committed suicide by jumping into the Gomti river.
Days later, when his family got his mark sheet, they realised the result on the Internet was incorrect. Sachin had passed the exam.
"Our son's lost forever, he will not come back. What do we do now?" said Neera Soni.
But can HRD Minister Kapil Sibal's proposal to do away with the Class 10 board exams change things around?
The number of children giving in to the exam stress has seen a steady rise. Some educationists argue our education system lays a lot of emphasis on the marks a student gets rather than what he is learning.
"It's about learning for life. You've mentioned those who commit suicides, then there are thousands who live with a constant stress and go into depression. A huge number that is not even identified. Imagine the effect its having on life's that are to be our future," said educationist Anita Rampal.
As the debate continues over the pros and cons of such a decision, in Lucknow, Sachin's younger brother is now preparing for his board exams next year. For this family at least, the stress to perform or perish is back to haunt.
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