Pressures of school prove too much for students in India

School can be rough. Staying in a hot building, waking up early, and trying to find time to relax can be tiring. However, the pressures put on students are what have the most effect. Many students work hard but are still not satisfied with their scores. They sacrifice a healthy sleep schedule to get ahead of the game. It is a competitive world and, unfortunately, test scores can determine your future. There has been a debate for ages on whether too much stress is put on students or not, and now a new event can be added to the discussion.

In India, national exams have recently taken place. Scores were just released and the results were not all pretty. At least 20 students have killed themselves due to receiving low test scores on their exams. Students have been taking violent measures to end their life because they feel that one failed exam would ruin them to the point that life was not worth living. This goes beyond the normal pressures of school and makes one reevaluate how much pressure society really puts on students.

One-third of about a million students had failed. This is a record number that came as a shock to many parents. Many parents, of both the living and deceased, are protesting the results, declaring that they were tampered with and an error was made. Re-evaluations have taken place and it was determined some failing students had actually passed, meaning deaths could have been avoided. Parents were understandably furious for this error and demanded compensation for the families of the deceased students.

This horrific event can be used as a lesson to learn from in the future. Schools need to check up on the well-beings of students and emphasize that one test does not define you. There needs to be less pressure set on students, especially since they live in such a competitive world already. There is no reason for added stress. Results should also be confirmed before being released. This is a tragic event and my heart goes out to all the parents that had lost their children due to the pressures of school.