WHAT AFTER PLUS-TWO?

 

From Sampath’s Desk:

 

 

 

WHAT AFTER PLUS-TWO? STUDENTS AT THE CROSSROADS

 

 

I happened to be at the Anna University campus on one of the days of engineering counselling. A candidate and his parents were vehemently arguing about the engineering stream to be taken for study from among the many available. While the boy was ardently keen on taking a particular stream, say ‘X,' the parents were insistent on his opting for stream ‘Y.'

 

Arguments for and against a particular stream were interesting to hear. At the end of the wordy duel, the boy angrily retorted: “You people select whatever stream you feel like; why should I worry? It is only you people, and not me, who will have to study. Let me be left alone.” I was at a loss to understand why the parents are trying to impose their choice much against the son's wishes especially when he is keen on prosecuting a particular stream.

 

With plus-two results already declared, mark-sheets available and the rank-list of candidates aspiring for medical and engineering, etc. out, both parents and wards might have a tough time with many permutations and combinations of courses cluttering their minds. I don't intend plunging myself into any argument in favour of or against any particular discipline(s) available vis-à-vis institutions and their effectiveness in imparting higher education, as parents and children might know best with their insight and farsightedness besides what they heard from others and other experiences. The intention here is to analyze threadbare how to go about the situation, grapple with arguments and counter-arguments, possible contributors likely to drive a wedge between parents and wards, and the standoff that may vitiate the scenario.

 

First, none can deny the fact that parents, being very close to their children, have firsthand knowledge of their wards especially their mundane likes and dislikes, tastes, mindset, physical capacity, emotional contours, tact, application of mind, judgment, grasping nuances, assiduousness and determination, to mention a few. Still one cannot strongly assume that parents could have gauged all the attributes of their wards right, since what they see is only one half of their mould and personality. After all, parents only see their conduct, character and behaviour as their children as openly displayed by them.

 

There could still be some plumes of negativism that might be eluding parents' attention and notice due to children's faked behaviour. Parents may try to brush aside some botches or misdeeds as being mere ‘characteristic' or ‘whimsical' of their wards or, at worst, ‘aberrations' with kinship eclipsing the darker side. The hidden thought-field of their children might not be visible to parents much less discernible, with the undercurrents remaining intangible, ethereal and waif-like.

 

The second link are, of course, teachers, albeit their observations and interactions are on a different footing. Although a teacher does have an overall assessment of every student he/she has dealt, it is based on core factors like punctuality, attentiveness in class, grasping ability, comprehending wisdom, classroom interactions with teachers, classmates and peers, extra-curricular interests and last but not least the overall performance as reflected in the progress card. Here again, it is not an absolute assessment though by and large the teacher would certainly be in a better position to vouch for a student's gumption, nerve and suitability for particular higher studies.

 

The tertiary factor is the outside world of close relatives, friends and well-wishers in the neighbourhood, who happen to observe children, not to speak of their colleagues, peers and the ward's own circles who might also have some useful and intelligent inputs.

 

Next comes the most crucial and considered opinion of the student himself/herself. He/she is the best judge to make a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. It is perhaps possible that the students are overconfident or underconfident in certain areas, thus obscuring the real picture. However, the ward's own confidence levels do matter. In a nutshell, the aspirant's acumen and aptitude, parental preparedness, teachers' thought-processes and outputs thereof, and whatever little inputs available from other sources should be accorded due consideration for clinching the right course and institution, by the candidate himself/herself, compulsion being the rarest of rare exception.

 

 

 

(R.SAMPATH)

1/7/2011

 

(This article was published with the title ‘WHAT AFTER PLUS-two? STUDENTS AT THE CROSSROADS in ‘THE HINDU’ dated 16.7.2011)