Setting The Priorities  Right

 

  Noor Muhammad Gojal, Hunza

Email: gulmitwala@gmail.com

The outcome of a very recent suicide adventure by three young female students has shocked entire Gojal. For the first time in the history of Gojal, in my memory, has someone committed or attempted to commit suicide because of failure in an examination. At this crucial moment in our society’s behavioral transformation it is important to pause for a long while and reflect on lives of the students, their difficulties, their aspirations, expectations (of the society) and the quality of education that is being imparted at different levels. According to reports two girls attempted suicide in lower Gojal, by jumping into a torrent, only one could be saved. While another girl committed suicide in upper Gojal, by poisoning herself.


These incidents, like all shocking incidents, have a very important lesson for all of us. The tendency to kill oneself over failure in examination is reflective of the stress that young students are facing in today's highly competitive market based society. While it is not wrong to be competitive or to expect competency it is definitely wrong to leave no space for error or failure.



I personally, can think of two reasons that might have triggered suicidal tendencies in these young students. First, are the very high societal expectations of their education and second, is the fiercely competitive market economy that has entered our lives without allowing a timely realization.



The stakes in education have risen above and beyond the traditional “search for knowledge” philosophy. Education, today, is the guarantee for a lavish modern lifestyle. So those who miss the “education” bandwagon, we think, are going to miss the lavish consumerist lifestyle in the long run. This style of thinking gives rise to the higher expectations of, both, the parents and the society. The result, in many cases, is a mix of fear, regret and feelings of uncertainty. These feelings have the potential to create panic, extreme mental stress and anxiety. These feelings can increase manifolds if the students are not able to deliver according to expectations of friends, parents, families and the general society.



It is important to realize that young people don’t have a space in our society to vent their emotions. While the male youngsters are relatively more independent the female students usually are not provided a space for expressing their concerns, fears and emotions. The result is fatal. Stress, fear and anxiety can erupt in the form of suicide attempts. Female students are more prone to suicide than males because of the social norms. In our societies suicide is considered to be a “feminine” act. Or in other words our society has leased this “space” for the female folks for venting their emotions.



The remedial steps have to be taken at a very brisk pace. No time shall be wasted. First, the young students need to be allowed more space for verbally sharing their concerns with their parents, elders and families. Secondly, the parents need to realize that only good marks/results in examination do not necessarily lead to, what the market calls “success”. In fact, it is proven by research that top positioners are not the best “professionals” as well!



Thirdly, the trio of teachers, school administrators and students need to sit and debate the philosophy of “success” from a completely different angle. The students must realize that getting good grades in schools is just one component of our lives. It is not the prime objective of our existence. Counseling is very important. The students shall not be very rigid in their view of the world and its “successes” and “failures”.



We must value ourselves and appreciate our strengths as human beings. It is a fact that the contemporary education system has turned out to be a “manufacturing machine” producing labor for various industries of the market economy. We need to realize that the ancient values of “constant search for knowledge”, humility and resilience in the face of failure are still the best guides for those seeking knowledge.