Student failure in examinations is a broad topic with many common causes. In this article, we will examine the detailed points to understand why students eventually fail exams.
Lack of Interest in Studies
Not every child is a reader, and this is a fact. Many students are not interested in going to school or college. Many students suffer from absent-mindedness in class. Due to this lack of interest, they fail on exam days. They do not take an interest in studies and do not remember daily lessons.
Not Choosing the Right Subjects
Often, students are not allowed to choose subjects of their choice, mainly due to parental pressure. Most parents want their children to become doctors or engineers, while the child may want to pursue fine arts or have a passion for English literature. When children are not allowed to take subjects according to their choice, they see studying as a burden, which becomes another cause of failure.
Resource Scarcity and Poverty
Poverty is a significant tragedy in our country. Millions of children are out of school, and most students lack adequate resources. They cannot even afford textbooks, let alone guidebooks. Without complete textbooks, stationery, or notes, teaching cannot continue, and students fail in exams.
Teachers Not Understanding Students’ Mental Capacities
There are students of different intelligence levels in the same classroom, but teachers often teach all children in the same way. Some children need more attention and memorize lessons quickly. In such cases, it is incorrect to treat all students the same way. Children who need special attention may not perform well in examinations if they receive only general attention.
Parents Being Clueless and Blaming Teachers
Both parents and teachers contribute to the success of children, but most parents only inform themselves about the child’s performance on the day of the results. They think that once school, college, or academy fees have been paid, all responsibility falls on the teachers. However, this is not true. Children are rarely asked by parents to study at home, even though 9th and 10th grades are crucial for a child’s career. If parents do not monitor and encourage their children to study, the children cannot perform well in exams.
Teachers Paying Less Attention to the Class
Many teachers have opened their own academies and tuition centers. While it is not wrong, such teachers often teach the children who come to their tuition centers well but do not show much attention in class. Consequently, children who are neglected barely pass the exams.
Use of Social Media and Other Electronic Devices
The modern age is the age of social media, and our new generation is always glued to their mobiles. However, mobile devices are used more for entertainment than for education. Children tend to focus on these tools even while studying, resulting in failure.
Fear of Exams
Exams are something that more or less every student dreads, no matter how talented they are. Exam phobia is a bitter truth. Many students study well on normal days but cannot perform well in the exam room because they are afraid of exams and forget everything they have learned.
Not Knowing the Technique for Solving the Paper
There is a technique to solve each subject paper, and unfortunately, this technique is not taught in our institutions. Children should be taught how to manage their time and understand the questions better to solve them successfully.
Online Education
Many people consider online education a success, but I do not. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools around the world remained open with precautionary measures, but in Pakistan, the online education system was heavily emphasized. No matter how hard a teacher works, the importance of physical schools and madrasas for students will always remain. There is a world of difference between having a teacher physically present in the classroom and online learning.
Stress and Medical Problems
Most students suffer from mental stress during exams. Many medical problems also arise, such as dizziness, indigestion, and physical weakness. The burden of exams is so great that they cannot bear the pressure and get sick.
Rote Learning Without Understanding
Generally speaking, the curriculum is not in tune with modern methods, but it would be fair to say that the textbooks are mostly boring. When students are bored, they read and memorize without understanding the concepts. This means only memory is tested. Sometimes, in the exam room, if the first word of a question is forgotten, the entire answer is forgotten, and students fail the papers.
Comparison by Parents with Other Children
One of the flaws of our society is that parents always compare their children to their siblings or family members, and many teachers do the same. This does not foster good behavior in students. They study and score only because their sibling or cousin scored higher, so they feel they must do the same.
Pressure from Parents
Parents put a lot of pressure on children near exams. In many homes, it is said that if you fail or do not get good grades, your family will cut you off or put you into some business. This is like a psychological attack on the students. Parents think this will improve results, but it often has the opposite effect.
Solved Papers and Guides
Guides and solved papers are given much importance. However, if you look at the guides, relatively easy questions are solved, and it is suggested that the rest of the questions be solved similarly. If a student finds a question difficult and cannot find it in the guide, how can they expect to pass the exam?
There are many causes for failure in examinations, including internal, external, and psychological factors. Both teachers and parents play an important role in the success of children, so both should give equal attention to them.
Your writing on the topic of exam failures offers insightful reflections and valuable perspectives for readers like me to understand the reasons behind academic setbacks