National Education Day: 5 Things that Should be Normalized in Students’ Life

This national education day, let’s reform the toxic Education system. Take a step back and mark these things that should be normalized in students’ life.

National Education Day: Ever since a child is born, people start imposing their expectations on students. Remember 3 Idiots? Faran’s father, on his birth, said, ‘Mera beta engineer Banega’. Well, it all starts from there. The  toxic education system of India  and parents’ expectations idealize so many things for students that they feel policed for what’s right. A student’s life should be full of exploration and allowance for what they wish to do, and here are a few things that should be normalized in a student’s life.

This National Education Day, 5 Things that Should be Normalized in Students’ Life

1. Being average

Every parent wants their child to be the best at everything. The teachers also want the students to be the best. There is a difference between asking a child to ‘give their best’ and asking them to ‘be the best. Students should be expected to grow, learn, and be in a healthy competition to improve themselves. Being average at something doesn’t define a student.

2. Gap Year

It is OK to take a gap year and some time off to process their needs. There can also be other financial and demographic factors why a student would take a gap year. Yet people are judged for taking a gap year. Instead of judging a student’s capabilities when they take a gap year, normalizing exploring one’s interest should be a practice.

3. Changing streams

Well, is it a problem if a person loves doing physics numerically and has a lot of interest in poetry? So, should that be a problem if people switch their interests just because they wish to? Why is a student judged for changing streams? And why is even switching from one stream to another considered a ‘mistake being corrected?’ Is there a problem if a person is interested in one stream for a brief while, chooses to study that, and then switches to another because they want to explore the other two?

4. Mental Health Breaks

We can’t agree less that mental health is not considered in a student’s life. A student can surely get an off when they are physically unwell but are there any provisions for mental health? No right. But there should be. Mental health awareness, check-ins and breaks should be normalized for students.

5. Financial Burdens

Well, students are students. They are not in a state where they are earning. It’s the parents who are expected to pay the fees.

1) Calling out students in front of the whole class for the late submission of the fees is the worst idea ever. It only makes the students feel guilty about their family’s financial conditions, for which they are not responsible.

2) Making additional expenses like mandatory school trips, annual charges, paying required extracurricular activities, payments for clubs etc. Parents are doing their best to give their children the best education possible. Expecting them to pay for these additional charges when they barely meet the ends is a scud idea.

Well, these are the things that should be normalized in students’ lives. Students are the nation’s future, and it’s just not right to ask them to be on their toes to meet societal expectations. This toxic education system has harmed students, and it’s time they normalize these things for a healthy education system and a proper celebration of national education day.