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Opinions of Sunday, 8 April 2018

Columnist: Ahmed Abubakar

Societal pressures, a reason for exam leakage?

In recent times, going to school defines who you are not the impact you make on society In recent times, going to school defines who you are not the impact you make on society

Many would have taken things easy if societal pressure(s ) are non existing in present day Ghana. People would have lived normal lives as against going beyond their limit or capabilities. Societal pressure has eaten us up and now it's on education. That is very unfortunate.

Now,to the definition of societal pressure "Societal pressures are expectations that affect the entire community, or specific parts of it, like the pressure to go to school and pass by all means "" why must it be so? Are we all equal? Can we all do the same things like in Reading medicine,Pharmacy,Engineering or Architecture?

I think societal pressure(s) is one main animal that pushes our students to root for exam leakages. But, that's too worrying. We live in a country where success is defined in the number of degrees you have. Why,why,why?

However, I think societal pressure(s) generally is bad. It makes you do things that's not from you will and as such gives birth to negative results. But,then, why must students,teachers,parents succumb to that in educating their wards? It is too dangerous.

For example, if one fails in a particular subject say, Mathematics, does that make the person a failure in society? Maybe, the person read home economics. What is the relevance of transformation,Quadratic Equation,Trigonometry,Geomtry, Algebra to such a student? Then,when he fails,same society gives him/her pressure. Sees him/ her as a failure.

For me,the measure of success does not lie in how many subjects he/she

passed, it lies in the impact he /she makes in the society.

Let me tell you a story about my younger sister, who is now a third year student at the University for development studies. She had a single number in her BECE exam. She got Yaa Asantewaa SHS . She had loved to read General Science because,it was a course people think when you read, you are "shark " but she was weak in mathematics. I protested I won't allow her to read science because of her weakness in maths. She finally read General Arts and she was doing great. Now, if she had gone on to read General Science based on the perceptions of the people in the society,she wouldn't have made it since mathematics was her main problem.

There are lots of people who have been victims of societal pressure(s) and I think the society must emancipate themselves from the mental slavery and it is the reason why examination leakages are rampant in our society. But, we fail to know also is that, society is the consumer of the fake students we produce.

I suggest parents,teachers,government and all other stakeholders get on board and find a lasting solution on the so called societal pressures and make our society a better one.After all,if it gets better, it gets better for us all.