Placed on what Position?

PLACED ON WHAT POSITION?

In schools, institutes of various names and many other citadels of learning, results are given with place values in terms of the position a recipient occupies in relation to every other candidate or applicant. These results give some degree of reverence to those who could perform better than most of their peers. In many primary and secondary schools, a lot of fanfare accompanies the collection of results as students and teachers share information about the performance of each child in relation to others. The hot point in these moments is the discovery of the student that got the number one position. The student occupying the coveted top position feels elated and content. In fact, in many climes, guardians, parents and friends place serious emphasis on the position. The usual question asked is, which position do you occupy? The position occupied has become so important that no other information on the report sheet is consequential.

A lot of students loose hope, drive and zeal due to the ever present demand of occupying a “good position” by guardians, parents and friends. The question of where a person is placed based on the result obtained leaves a lot of vacuum to be filled. The issues that are more important than mere position are bottled up and never analyzed. The position occupied should not be the yardstick of a student’s capability. The true position a student is placed on should be subjective and only in special cases should it be objective. Aptitude tests and competitive examinations that seek to get particular candidates for a job role can use position and its value legitimately.

The true test of the position a student occupies in terms of the result obtained is the percentage score. A high percentage shows or is synonymous with high performance. A good percentage score is a testimony to the student’s ability to perform well above expectations. Another benchmark that can be used for determining position is by comparison. Many students think they are well grounded in the basics and intricacies of several subject matters until they meet with their contemporaries from other schools and climes. The main aim of comparison with peers is to ensure that students do not raise their heads too high and brag over sheer mediocrity. When students from different schools and climes meet  with each other to discuss how various subjects are taught in their schools and how much have been covered in terms of depth and thoroughness, a better feel of how well groomed students are is formed. These scholarly discussions are usually effective eye openers that reveal to students where they are lagging behind and where improvements need to be made.

Taking external examinations and tests not set by the school students attend is also a great measure of how well grounded they are in the subject matter examined. Many guardians, parents and teachers soon discover to their surprise that the students they praise and adore as the role model in scholarly achievement are not as sound academically by external standards that are more competent measures of students’ abilities. When students take external examinations and do well, it shows clearly that they are well grounded academically.

The question of what position a student is placed should not be based on the numeric place value at all! The fact that a student occupies the very first position in a class does not mean  that other students occupying lower positions are mediocre. The true test of what position a student is placed should be based on the level of competence and understanding gained as a result of passing through the class and school system. A student that got the last position in class with a percentage of seventy five (75) has as promising a future as the one who got the first position with a percentage of ninety six (96). Parents, guardians and teachers should be channels of encouragement to students under their care. Students should be encouraged to do their best and perform optimally. The greatest kudos goes to those institutions and schools of learning where the numerical value of position have been scrapped and replaced by depth, real depth in understanding and competence.