Low marks do not mean end of the road

A third division holder who went on to become the vice-president of PVR cinemas; a cricket enthusiast who having done miserably in his CBSE ended up being a creative director at a top ad agency; a school dropout who went on to do his PhD from IIT?

A third division holder who went on to become the vice-president of PVR cinemas; a cricket enthusiast who having done miserably in his CBSE ended up being a creative director at a top ad agency; a school dropout who went on to do his PhD from IIT…

Examples of people who failed to shine in their Class XII exams, but managed to shine in life are infinite. In fact, poor marks may just be a blessing in disguise. As Vinita Kaul, a counsellor, says, “For today’s children the world has opened up. I got a call from a student who has failed a second time.

I told him that perhaps exams were not his cup of tea and it was time he looked towards vocational courses.” Low marks force students to look at other courses — hotel management, architecture, fashion studies or even courses for flight crew and airhostesses.

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Prof SC Garg, pro-vice chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University agrees, “Students don’t realise the relevance of open universities.” “We have no seat limitations and provide students with a wide range of subjects and combinations that they would not find in conventional institutions,” he adds.

Counsellor Geetanjali Kumar holds both and parents and students responsible. “It’s lack of information on their parts.” “We measure a child’s capability by the marks he secures. We need to shed this mindset,” Kumar adds.