It is that time of the year when all the aspirants of class 10th and 12th are united in tension and are anxiously waiting for their results. Taking a cue from CBSE, Tamil Nadu government announced that it will be doing away with the practice of declaring the top 3 rank holders of class 10 and 12 to save students from stress. K. A. Sengottaiyan, the school and education minister of Tamil Nadu says ‘why students who get even one mark less face severe stress?’ Officials say that in a race to produce “toppers”, many schools ignore other section of students resulting in the development of stress and inferiority complex in the latter.
For the past 20 years, educationalists had been demanding that the announcement of ranks should be stopped as it was turning education into a form of business. In this process, it was removing focus from gaining knowledge and placing it on procuring marks. It is perceived as one of the many changes that need to come in Tamil Nadu’s education system.
The education minister of Tamil Nadu further announces that a scheme will be started to aid students from Tamil medium schools, who have performed well. Educationalists and even Child Psychologists claim that this move has its positives and negative. Though this move will reduce unnecessary competition and stop education from becoming trade, but the motivation to do well stems in recognition. The decision not to recognize top performers will leave them dejected. So it is like a double edged sword but those who will top and perform well anyway atleast this move will make those not at the top of the class stress less and reduce the pressure on the young minds.
