Kerala teacher's moving note on lone student who did not crack SSLC exam

At a time when lakhs of students who cracked the SSLC examinations are celebrating with their families, a Facebook post by a Kerala teacher is drawing people's attention to the few who could not pass the board exams. In a heartfelt post, the teacher emphasises why students should be held closer while also pointing out that cracking an exam does not measure one’s success.

"Among the group, there was one who failed. I called only him, without calling 434 others who passed the exam. I feel I am the other person who failed along with him," wrote VP Prabhakaran, headmaster of the Government Vocational Higher Secondary school at Madappally in Kozhikode in an emotional Facebook post published on Wednesday night.

It was on Wednesday afternoon that the Kerala SSLC results were published. The exam which was held in two phases amidst much confusion and apprehension during the COVID-19 lockdown, was attended by 4.2 lakh Class 10 students of government and government-aided schools. When the results came, 98.82 percent of students passed the exam.

The Facebook post has been widely shared on social media with many appreciating him for the compassion with which he treated the student.

“During exam days in the classrooms, I have seen the sparkle in their eyes while enquiring if things were alright. Maybe the son who could not pass the exam, he too might have looked at me. But I didn’t see him. He is a child who got missed from our love and care,” wrote Prabhakaran.

“This time we thought no one would fail. Those students whom we thought required help were held closer. There were even students among them who had trouble in writing alphabets. They have clearly realised the care and love which we showered them. It was with such warmth the teachers were treating them. Maybe the kids might not have experienced this much warmth in life before and for the teachers also, it would have been the first opportunity to shower this much love and care for the students,” he wrote.

The headmaster also wrote that when he called the student, the boy shared how he had thought he would pass the examination.

He concluded the post by stating that one’s success does not depend on cracking exams.

“What could be between winning and losing? Maybe there was something lacking in the way we cared, because all of us teachers also failed with him. Maybe in re-evaluation or in the SAY (Save A Year) exam, he might pass...We know many people out there who have failed in so many exams but still have succeeded in their lives. I told him, ‘It’s okay, you come to school tomorrow’. He then said softly, “I will come sir”. Across the telephone, I could clearly see his face.”

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