Fail

Welcome to the dreaded word in Indian education system "FAIL". It means you have no right to further study. It means that you have no right to live a life less mediocre. It is a weapon in the hands to teachers to decide the fate of the students.

Latest suicide by an IIT girl reinforces the same fact. She had been selected for MBA course in IIM and MS in US. Other institutes had found her eligible for further study but two professors disagreed. They 'failed' her and so her chances of further study and also any kind of employment were wiped-out. She chose death over a life of a 'failure'.

Who the hell gave someone right to officially declare that the other person is a 'failure'. Power corrupts and abolute power corrupts absolutely. Indian education system has given too much power to the teachers. They are regarded as experts in their field and their word is considered final in their subject. What they say, others follow. They start thinking that they are GOD. All teachers develop a big ego.

It has never made sense to me. Why does education system have such a thing. The teacher can decide that the student cannot proceed to next level. Why not just give whatever marks he has received and let him proceed in his life. Let the student have an option to give the exam (by paying examination or course fee again) and let him prove that he deserved more than what he received. If he feels what he received is what he deserved, he will at least continue his life with the fact that he is weak in one or two subjects.

If a person is weak in couple of subject does not mean that he is not eligible for a decent future life. A journalist needs more skills at languages than mathematics. A geologist needs more skills at geography than history. I have an engineering degree in computer science and in last five years of my professional life, I have not used skills of at least ten subjects I studied during my study. Even if I had failed in those subjects, I would be equally competent in my current job and responsibilities. So why the word 'FAIL' exists at all?