Stop pressuring students, let them grow into their own:Pathak | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday urged educators and parents to let students pursue their own interests instead of burdening them with constant pressure of scoring high marks.“Let children grow in their own direction and stop pressuring them to achieve what society defines as big success. Support their interests and allow them to build their own path. Institutions must move beyond the obsession with packages and placements. Education should not be reduced to a race for marks or salary figures,” Pathak said. He was speaking at the “Excellence in Education” programme organised by The Times of India and Navbharat Times in association with Gravity Classes. He also emphasized that Aryabhata did not have a marksheet, yet his work on ‘zero’ and mathematics shaped scientific thought for centuries. Chanakya too was not defined by grades, but by the knowledge of statecraft in the arthashastra, which continues to guide political and economic ideas, Pathak said. He pointed out that a visible gap has emerged between elite institutions and those serving the economically weaker sections. “Larger institutions must reflect on how to bridge this divide so that students from poor backgrounds receive the same quality education and opportunities as their privileged counterparts,” Pathak said. Reflecting on changing societal expectations, Pathak remarked that there was a time when securing a first division was considered a major achievement. Today, even scoring 95% often leaves students dissatisfied because they could not top the list. Such norms are created by society and add unnecessary stress. He also stressed that not every student needs to be a topper. “If everyone becomes a topper, who will become a writer, poet, musician or sportsperson,” said Pathak. Referring to the National Education Policy 2020, he said the policy gives importance to mother tongue in early education, adding that children understand concepts better and express themselves clearly when they are taught in their own language.