School Examination and Its Intelligence

I still wonder whether an intelligence of kid can be judge within that design of three hour; perhaps the larger question is-what is intelligence in the first place? Especially in school arena-how do we define intelligence of a child?  If the parameters are narrowed to those prescribed text books and to some Physical and health education (co-curricular activities) to define intelligence then-are we going in direct direction?  What could be the generally accepted parameters to see a child’s intelligence? Exam? However, the general notion is that anyone who excels in his academic examination is believed to be an intelligent kid as he/she meets all the book oriented expectation laid by concern stakeholders.  Is the existing mode of assessing a kid’s intelligence is only means?  Justifying whether the kid is intelligent or not within three hours examination seems bizarre and unfair at times.

Let’s not get technical and jump into some theories to define intelligence-I feel that somewhere we are leaving that void unfilled while moderating a kid’s intelligence because human’s intelligence is way beyond man’s comprehension.  People use the lens of cognitive, psycho-motor and affective criterion and that too narrowed down to academic aspects.   Sadly, we have a setting where kid has to go through two to three rigorous hours  of writing if he/she wants to prove his/her intelligence-and let’s not discuss about the stress and anxiety it brings to them. 

I have kid in my class-he is quite a tarzan in almost all the subjects that he learns-any wise man can be swift to judge him as not being  intelligent but  when he strums the guitar, his exhibition of playing guitar will blow your mind away-the way he has honed his skills of playing guitar display quite a intelligence.  Therefore, I firmly believe-intelligence can never be confined to one particular discipline. 

Kids need a right platform to hone their intelligence in their choice of discipline ranging from sports, art, music…  simply branding a kid  “Stupid” on basis of academic performance can be naïve and ignorant on our part. Kids need motivation only in their field of choice where they can polish their physical and mental skills. 

People say that it’s our lack of generating motivation in learners to do well in their studies.  I tell you-can you make a lion to eat grass out of sheer motivation? Lets us not impose and enforce rather lets loosen them to exhibit their intelligence through their choice of discipline from young age.  A kid who loves to sing knows that if he pursues his dreams-he is bound to struggle because there is no assurance in such field-moreover, the social belief is such that we have to study to get government.  By the time when he reaches his middle school-all his love for singing will be gone as he prepares for his inevitable disaster. Identifying potentiality apart from academic and providing a platform from young age to realize his wishful dream is duty of all people around that particular kid. 

It is indeed sad to see kid enduring the physical and psychological brunt and of course societal pressure in the name of examination.

As a parent, I would not be much disturbed even if my son is not able to do well in his academics as long as he has doing something meaningful in other arenas away from academic culture.  Exam is opportunity for Mr. A & B but for Mr. C & D, it is a nightmare.   Perhaps-intelligence can never be judge through examination…