It’s no secret that the pressure on students to score very high marks in their exams, especially in Class 10 and 12 Boards is greater than ever. However, it so happens that sometimes even 90% and above is not enough for them to make the cut to get the stream or college of their preference. At a time like this, a mother's post celebrating her son’s performance in the Class 10 Boards – what many would consider average or below average – is going viral for all the right reasons.
Facebook user Vandana Sufia Katoch took to the platform on Monday, rejoicing at her son’s results, where he scored 60%. “Yes, it is not a 90, but that doesn't change how I feel. Simply because I have seen him struggle with certain subjects almost to the point of giving up, and then deciding to give his all in the last month-and-a-half to finally make it through,” she wrote.
Vandana’s post comes at a time when many adolescents have reported facing significant pressure from different fronts, including family, to score high marks in academics; and this pressure is known to have negative effects on their physical and mental health as well. The student suicides following the Telangana inter results fiasco which granted very low marks to many students is a testament to the pressure that students are under.
Vandana further mentioned in her post that there was a world to explore for her son, even if he didn’t score high marks in his school exams. “Chart your own course in the big, wide ocean, my love. And keep your innate goodness, curiosity and wisdom alive. And of course, your wicked sense of humour!” she said.
In an interview to The Hindu, Vandana said that the idea behind the post was to let her son know that she was proud of him. She shared that when she picked him up from the bus stop after the results, he had been feeling like there was nothing to be proud of. Vandana said that she had to remind him of the “mountain he’d just climbed”, and to not compare himself with others as everyone’s journey is varied.
Vandana also said she did not expect the post to go as viral as it did – at the time of writing this story, it had over 5,500 shares and over 9,000 likes. The comments on her post are overwhelmingly positive, with people saying her approach is refreshing and that parents should learn more from this.