If I Fail Does It Mean I Am DULL?

Oh my goodness it has been two weeks since I last blogged. It almost feels like it has been an eternity. This is all thanks to a little inconvenience called ACCA exams. I mean studying for those blasted exams literally took over my life. It was all I could think of day and night. My social life was almost non-existent and watching television almost felt like I was committing some abominable crime. Never in my whole life have I wished for a 50% than I do now, not even when I was studying for my degree. This then brings me to my next question in the unfortunate event that I do fail; does it imply that I am dull?

I will be the first to admit that mathematical and science related subjects have not been my greatest forte. I choose to believe that I am above average but they are definitely not down my alley. I will probably get the grades out of sheer determination and punishment just to avoid failing. However, if I was given the option over my dead body would I even consider putting myself through this hell. I have finally come to accept that I have to suck it up and swallow the bitter pill in order to get it done and over with, so that I may move on with my life.

I have never been a fan of examinations, more so ACCA examinations. This is because throughout the course it is all about passing the examinations; forget about understanding, grasping the principles or even application. The cardinal thing is to pass the examination whichever way you can and know how. This is the only way they will be able to separate those with the brains and those who are lacking. This brings me to my earlier question, if someone fails an exam does it mean they are dull and are incapable? Should our society be so fixated on examinations and maybe is it high time we developed another way of measuring academic comprehension.

When I was in primary school I always thought that there was a certain amount of pressure for me to do well at school. Passing number 1 was the holy grail. I am definitely proud to say that I did pass number 1 on a few occasions and the times that I did not I was probably second. This was all good for my esteem and it only drove me to study even harder, this is because I could. However, now that I am an adult I do spare a thought for those individuals who came out bottom in the class and turned up to be the joke of the class. I wonder how crushed their egos and self esteem were when Open Day came and their parents collected their results. Scolding them for not doing well and asking how they could be bottom of the pile in the class? Teachers and pupils do not hide it, when you are not performing well in school, you are called DULL.

It is shameful for me to confess that yes, I did call a few friends dull for their inability to be top of the class. In hindsight I have come to realise that our education system is simply not holistic enough. These same individuals that were called DULL, were usually gifted in other areas, art, football, playing instruments, making crafts and a whole host of other stuff. I often imagine that, what would have happened if our entire school syllabus was full of sciences such as physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics. I can bet you that I would have definitely been at the bottom of the results when Open Day came around. The reason is simple; I just do not like them. Therefore, I too would have been called DULL.

In my opinion the grading system in primary school is doing more harm to our children than good. It is almost a form of discrimination because the ones who pass are loved and the ones who fail are forgotten. The ones with the A grades are the poster pupils for the class and those with D grades are what happens when you do not read. At a stage when children should be developing their esteem to be ready for a world that is more than willing to chew them, they are busy trying to understand why they are being referred to as dull. It is little wonder that in order to find some level of recognition some turn to bullying and being troublemakers and for the majority they simply withdraw into their own little shells.

Indeed examinations do have their role to play in our education system. At the moment it is perhaps the only way we can sieve the products that go into the education system. When someone fails an exam it should not always be assumed that they lacked seriousness and did not put in the effort. The sooner we admit that we have varying different comprehension levels and interests the sooner we will be able to develop other ways of assessing an individual’s intellect. The grading system in primary schools should be scrapped and instead it is the time that we should be discovering what their interests are. Until then my conclusion is that when I fail an exam it is not that I am dull but rather differently gifted.