“Exams don’t matter, but children do!”
A few weeks ago, I was surprised to see a group of parents, under the banner of Association of Parents, campaigning for the cancellation of examinations, particularly of the Std X and XII exams put off indefinitely due to the Corona virus spread, sloganeering on India Today TV channel: “Exams don’t matter, but children matter!” More surprisingly, I found there were only just a few children with the parents rallying for the cancellation of the exams, seemingly suggesting that it was again the parents who are deciding whether exams matter or not, while what the children who worked hard for months together, that too often at the insistence of their parents, thought of the exams did not seem to matter!
It is against this background that we bring you, this month, a special article, Day Of The Results, by Dr Augustine Pinto, well-known educationist and Founder-Chairman of Ryan International Group of Institutions. Dr Pinto, himself a parent, affirms what the agitating parents seem to have realised, though belatedly, thanks to the Corona virus: “Parents need to understand that children are more important than the marks and the ranks you want them to score in examinations… failure in an exam or their scoring lesser marks than you expected, is not the end of the world!”
The same positive thought is beautifully reflected in another article in the present issue From Rejection to Acceptance by Dr George Kaitholil, a reputed author of numerous motivational books, published by Better Yourself Books. “Rejection (failure, too) hurts, and hurts like hell! Paradoxically it is also a moment of great potential!” says Dr Kaitholil.
The July 2020 issue brings you a lot more, still homebound due to Covid 19. Johnny Orlando, the new teenage sensation on the cover, and the exclusive interview with him by Verus Ferreira, is sure to fascinate you! You might even want to start reading about Johnny before the other articles though they are all equally interesting and beneficial.
Do You Have a Role Model? by Denny Joseph, Making a Difference in Corona Times by F. M. Britto, the special feature: The East Indians – An Enduring Image by Irwin Almeida are all there for you in addition to the regular columns, making the present issue really memorable. However,we are unable to send you the hard copy, yet. So make sure you get an e-copy from our office and share it with your friends, as well!
Alfonso Elengikal, SSP, has the unique distinction of being the longest-serving editor of The Teenager Today, an office he held for over 17 years. He is the bestselling author of You Can Make A Difference, You Are Destined For The Skies, Let The Real You Stand Up! and Discover The Hero Within You published by Better Yourself Books.