Dear editor,
Today-or perhaps since the end of last week- we have seen grade 12 students who recently sat to the WASSCE across the country busy on collecting their results. While this process is on going, you can easily notice the nervousness in majority of the students. To many, they are just going to collect a document that decides the outcome of their existence. Smh.
It is becoming so scary to fail an examination in this country – even though examination does not always reflect one’s intelligence. I’ve seen parents curse their children just because they had failed an examination. I’ve also seen children cry and curse themselves as if without those good grades they can’t be anybody in future.
This western education, I believe, has not come for everybody. Some wouldn’t, in hundred years pass any examination. Even open-book exams. It’s the brutal truth, thus the need to address it.
It’s true that going through school and then eventually passing exams is everyone’s dream and wish, but not able to pass exams also should not be a doom to the parents and students.
I want us to understand that there are a million and one thing to do. You just need to identify what you’re good at and go for it. But the problem, especially with Gambians is that, so many people are so blinded by the Western education so much so that they can’t see the other things. Probably things they are better at. We need to know and believe in the fact that not everybody can and will have a white-collar job. Explore your hidden talents.
Let us try to know our children’s interest and love, and then encourage them to excel in it. Otherwise, we are wasting our resources and wasting our children’s valuable time.
Passing exams is awesome, but failing exams isn’t the end of your life!
Cherno ‘Auspicious’ Bah
