Value life over marks

It is ‘edge of the seat, ear to the hotline' time for educational counsellors across the city as result season is upon us. The HSC exam results were declared yesterday and now, Std X students await their results, due in a short while.

While one can empathise and sympathise with young people who seem to be under all sorts of pressures in a complex and highly competitive world, it is disappointing to see that there are a number of suicide cases post result announcement.

These seem to be growing in number as youngsters are taking their life at being disappointed by their results, scared of revealing to their parents that they have not done well or even worried about how to face their peers and society at large.

While pressure is understandable, youngsters must realise that suicide is a very extreme step and is certainly not an option. Students must be taught to become emotionally tougher to absorb these blows. There has to be a re-valuation of the mind to put human life in the place it deserves - it is precious and there is certainly no reason to end it because you have got a few marks lesser than you thought you deserved, or even if you failed the exam.

Earlier generations did not have the kind of stress counselling that today's students have and still one heard of fewer suicides. Maybe, there were other cushions like less competition or less parental pressure or even the joint family system where youngsters had more people to turn to for words of wisdom and gentle caution. Yet, they did not have the choices that today's generation has when it comes to career paths.

Remember, failure means you have another chance at giving an exam. You have only one life, though.