Education is the lamp that dispels darkness and illuminates the future. It is the sacred temple where children’s dreams are given wings, where their curiosity is respected, and their talents are nurtured. However, in some ICSE schools in Lucknow, this temple has become a threshold where children’s dreams are being crushed. The recently announced ICSE 10th board results have exposed a bitter truth—these schools are denying admission to subjects like PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) to students who fail to meet their arbitrary 75% marks criterion. This rule is neither part of the CISCE board’s guidelines nor aligned with the fundamental principles of education. According to the board, every student who secures 33% marks is considered a pass. So why are these schools playing such a cruel joke with the future of children?
Locking Children’s Dreams: The Arbitrary Policies of Schools
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Padege India, Badega India” (Educated India, Progressive India) and “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child) are not mere slogans but the foundation of an inclusive and progressive India. However, in these Lucknow schools, this vision has been reduced to a mockery. These are the same schools that adorn their walls with stories of great scientists like Thomas Edison and Srinivasa Ramanujan, who were labeled “unfit” and expelled by their schools yet illuminated the world with their brilliance. So why are these schools punishing children who don’t meet their arbitrary marks threshold? Will these schools publish the list of students they have denied PCM? Will they acknowledge how many dreams their discrimination has shattered?
Inspiration from Great Souls: Expelled from Schools, Yet Illuminated the World
Let us recall the stories of those great souls who were rejected by schools but never gave up. Their stories are a beacon of hope for the children these schools label as “unfit”:
Thomas Alva Edison:
Why Expelled: Teachers called him “addled” because he asked too many questions and showed no interest in traditional learning. The school expelled him, but his mother nurtured his curiosity at home.
Contributions: Edison invented the incandescent bulb, phonograph, and electrical distribution system, transforming the world with over 1,000 patents that continue to serve humanity.
Message: Could Edison have been confined by a 75% marks criterion? His failures became the stepping stones to his success.
Srinivasa Ramanujan:
Lack of Formal Education: Ramanujan dropped out of college due to failure in subjects other than mathematics, losing his scholarship. Yet, his genius made him immortal in the field of mathematics.
Contributions: His discoveries, like the Ramanujan Theta Function and partition number theory, gave modern science new directions. His work at Cambridge University revolutionized mathematics.
Message: Would a 75% marks condition have stopped Ramanujan? His grit and passion made him a global mathematical legend.
Albert Einstein:
Challenges in Education: Einstein was considered slow and antisocial at school. Teachers failed to understand his unique thinking and labeled him average. Though he completed formal education, schools were slow to recognize his genius.
Contributions: His theory of relativity (E=mc²) and groundbreaking discoveries in physics changed the course of science.
Message: If Einstein had been subjected to a 75% PCM criterion, would the world have received his revolutionary theories?
Impact on Children
When schools deny children their preferred subjects based on marks, it has a profound impact on their morale:
Loss of Confidence: Children begin to see themselves as unworthy, stifling their creativity and curiosity.
End of Dreams: PCM opens doors to science and engineering. Denying it robs children of their career aspirations.
Mental Stress: The race for marks pushes children into stress and depression, harming their mental health.
Sense of Discrimination: Such policies foster feelings of inequality among children, deepening societal divides.
The Hypocrisy of Inspiration: A Game of Pretense
These are the same schools that teach stories of Edison, Ramanujan, and Einstein to inspire children. In classrooms, teachers tell students that failure is the first step to success and that curiosity and hard work can achieve any dream. Yet, when these same children fail to meet the arbitrary 75% marks condition, they are stripped of their dreams. If this isn’t hypocrisy, what is? If schools truly believed in these great scientists’ stories, they would offer opportunities based on children’s interests and potential, not just marks.
The Board and Government Must Reflect Deeply
The CISCE board and the Uttar Pradesh government must take immediate action on this issue. The injustice being done to children in these temples of education must be stopped:
Enforce Rules: The board must clarify that every student with 33% marks is eligible for PCM. Schools’ arbitrary policies must be curbed.
Transparency: Schools should be required to publish lists of students denied subjects due to their arbitrary criteria.
Inspirational Education: Schools must adopt policies that prioritize children’s interests and potential, not just marks.
Legal Action: The government must take strict action against schools that violate board rules and toy with children’s futures.
Awareness Campaigns: Parents and children must be educated about their rights to stand up against schools’ arbitrary decisions.
Remove from Books or Reform?
Removing the stories of Srinivasa Ramanujan and Thomas Edison from textbooks is not the solution. These stories inspire children to rise above failures and pursue their dreams. However, their true honor lies in schools learning from them and freeing children from the shackles of marks. The temple of education will only become a true temple when every child’s talent is recognized, and every dream is given wings.
Final Appeal: Save Children’s Dreams
This strange game in Lucknow’s schools has been pushing children’s futures into darkness for years. The time has come to put an end to it. Every child is precious, and every dream is priceless. Let us all unite to build an India where education is not a punishment but an inspiration. Where children shine not under the burden of marks but in the light of their talents. Only an educated India will lead to a progressive India!
Shabu zaidi
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