ONE FOR THE ROAD
Waiting for academic results of national examinations either at PSLE, JCE and BGCSE level can be nerve wrecking for both parents and children.
It would be great if all of us would mind our own business and refrain from asking other people about their children’s performance soon after results are released. It is also not cool to ask the children themselves. Of course it would also depend on the kind of relationship you have with the family to determine whether you are being too nosy or not.
Some people have made it their business to track academic progress of other people’s children, and are always enthusiastic to ask. The same, would not at anytime volunteer information regarding academic performance of their own children.
Let us understand that we are not all the same. Some people value their privacy and would want their business to remain private. It is not even about whether the results are good or bad, but it is about allowing parents and their children to reflect on the results and choose whether to share them without external pressure. In any case, what does it benefit you?
It was forward looking for the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) to introduce digital services that allows children and their parents to access their results privately through student numbers and examinations centres, far away from prying eyes of strangers. In addition to the digital platforms, BEC has also encouraged schools to desist from publishing children’s results on notice boards in schools. Times have changed, and we all have to accept that. There is no longer need to crowd at a notice board to view everybody’s results and start passing judgement. Each person’s results are private and let us all respect that.
While many still believe that the public display of results encouraged students to work hard in the past, this practice not only ignored students’ welfare and right to privacy but also promoted a culture of grade shaming. As a result of public display of students’ result, some may still be dealing with traumas, while others have never been able to overcome them. This system ignored the fact that there are students with mental health issues and other vulnerable individuals who may be triggered by such an act. Perhaps that is why year in, year out, there are incidents of suicide that are directly associated with national results.
If they are ready and willing to share their results, they will. If they are not, let’s leave it at that. A re tsweng hela mo di-results tsa bana ba batho!
To parents, comparisons are not necessary at this point. Children are not the same; therefore stop comparing them with their siblings, neighbours, friends or relatives. This will only do more harm. Rather, identify your child’s weaknesses earlier and seek help and do all to support them.