Academic versus Non-Academic

Often I am left scratching my head wondering, “Why are there differences among the kids in terms of academic learning?  Why can’t all they be same when it comes to learning? Why is that some are able to comprehend quickly and some slowly-and some- they just struggle through to fail?  Why is it that a child has to be excellent in academic?  Is non-academic excellence not at par with academic excellence?  Why is that Dawa’s awesome sketch always gets overshadowed by Tashi’s 10/10 score in mathematics?”

 Does it imply that a child who is superb in formal subjects is more intelligent than the child who is superb in non-academics? Sometimes I wonder whether child’s grades really reflect his intelligence. Simply ask yourself-was three hours exam papers enough to judge your intelligence when you were a high school boy?

 

Kids are today trained like circus animals-they don’t have their will but of their parents and teachers. If the kid is not healthy in academics-the notion prevails that he is not good in studies.  It isn’t surprising rather damn unfortunate that a kid with an awesome non-academic intelligence struggles get good living; gradually fading away in the crowds.  Perhaps parents and teachers have right to instill fear and impose-“Son! Give me good grades-or else you are nothing!” look around! Success is indeed defined by school grades rest is casually taken as compliment to academic success.

Poor toddler! He should be speaking sharchop but since his mom and dad feels that dzongkha is taught in the school and would enhance his learning by the time he gets enrolled-they push their baby with dzongkha and thus their indigenous language is brought to stand still.  Even some schools-“Let’s have only commerce and Science-these are job oriented streams.”   Practicality of such nature is hard to swallow.

Our kids’ intelligence is directly shaped and determined by job markets and that is where people like me are at sea.  Kids are oriented according to market situation-whether these kids have their own dreams or not-that is not the concern.  A talent is not intelligence-intelligence is talent; that’s what lingers around our society. Intelligence is proudly associated with academic learning.

 Perhaps we should have schools that would solely cater to those kids who are brilliant at non-academic fields.  How about having theatre-music school, athletic-boxing-football academy and many such academies.  Let’s face it! All kids enrolled in the school won’t make to offices.  Seeing kids who are intelligent in non-academic fields fading away-seems strongly unfair.