What my marksheet didn't show me

By Aditi Gupta

As I stare at my Class 12 CBSE result ,I should feel a sense of closure, maybe pride, or even excitement. But instead, I’m left with a quiet discomfort. Not because of the marks I’ve received but because of what they represent. Or rather, what they don’t.

Throughout school, we’ve been taught that marks are everything. That 95 is better than 85, and anything less is failure. But nowhere in those lessons did we learn how to value creativity, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, or individuality.

Schools, which should have been temples of holistic growth, have now turned into study factories churning out toppers but forgetting to nurture dreamers, thinkers, and creators. Our education system has gradually pushed vocational training, artistic expression, and life skills into the background, labeling them as “hobbies” rather than serious pursuits. Painting is a ‘free period’ activity. Music is an optional extra. Dance is a distraction. And sports - well, only if you’ve already won a medal.

We speak proudly of Indian culture, of our rich traditions in dance, music, storytelling, craftsmanship. Yet, our system has no place for them in the mainstream. We glorify marks, but not the kid who can sketch dreams with a pencil or compose stories through rhythms. We celebrate JEE rankers but forget the ones building robots out of scrap in their garages.

There are students in every school who could be incredible filmmakers, designers, writers, chefs, athletes but they are never told that those dreams are valid. Because there’s no mark sheet for passion. No syllabus for imagination.

It’s painful to watch talented classmates give up on their skills because they didn’t “fit in” the exam-based system. It’s heartbreaking to see people measure their worth by a two-digit percentage instead of the infinite potential they hold. And it’s frustrating to realise that even after all these years, our definition of a “good student” hasn’t evolved.

Don’t get me wrong- academics matter. But they shouldn’t be the only thing that does.

We need schools that value all kinds of intelligence. We need boards that encourage skill-based education with equal seriousness. We need career counseling that tells students it’s okay to take the road less traveled. We need parents and teachers who ask what do you love doing? just as often as they ask what did you score in math?

As someone who has just completed the so-called “most important year” of schooling, I can tell you this: marks may get you into college, but it’s your skills, your passion, your vision that will shape your future

The question is: when will our education system reflect that?