Sorry! I cheated

Dear Principal madam

I am a student belonging to class 9 who has just been caught cheating during the half yearly exam. Madam till now we have thrown all the light to your side of the story, now I want my side of the story to be revealed. Every student wanted to say this story but couldn’t. Maybe they didn’t have the courage. I don’t care now madam, as anyways I am going to be punished.

There are six sets of tests including all the formative, summative and mock assessments. You can say that more than three quarter of our academic session gets used up in exams. Then comes our homework. We have to sometimes think before an exam whether to do the homework or study for the next day’s exam. A whole 10 marks is given to the teachers and they drain out all our energy before giving us the precious 10 marks. Another worry is that if a child gets less than 90% then he/she is not allowed to take science, even if his/her passion is science. One mistake changes his/her life forever. School never gives complete attention to all the child instead they give importance to one or two brilliant students so that they get the glory on behalf of their school and enhance the reputation of the school. Adding up to the problems are assignments and project, they keep coming together in a bunch. Also about the ADMS policies- If a child is talented in any of the co-curricular activities in art, music. Dance or song then his marks can be increased. Even if a child is not good at any he/she has to forcefully do it. Writing is also a hobby. Why don’t we get marks for it? This is not justified. I am a good student. Yes I am not modest. I don’t want to be. I am a very good student. My score comes in top-5 every year. But to achieve that you can’t imagine what I have to go through. Every teacher forces me to score better. They say I don’t utilize my complete potential. This is not a child hood which a child deserves, is it?

This is not the justification of my mistake. I had a valid reason to cheat as I am taught competition, to become the best and to succeed. But even a murderer may have a valid reason to murder so it is not an excuse. But neither is it someone’s fault. Maybe it is but I don’t know. I was planning to commit suicide as I could never tell my parents that I got suspended. But times will pass and my life is precious to me, more than your school. You teach students to study as a duty not as a hobby. Why don’t you set your syllabus so that students study not to score marks or to come first but to experience the joy of learning and to cultivate interest in his/her subject of choice? Teach them that there is more to life than studies. Teach them to be themselves than to be the best. Make their childhood the most memorable part of life, not the most hated. Maybe this may not matter to you but it surely matters to them. I just hope you will read this.

Yours truly,
A girl whose life shattered due to one mistake