SSLC exam in
Kerala is a significant milestone for both students and their families, who
often take pride in their children's SSLC scores and hope for their future
endeavours. This time, SSLC exam results came out the other day and I saw
students who secured A+ in all subjects celebrating on social media and
installing flex boards congratulating themselves outside their homes and nearby
bus stops. The day Millennials received their Class 10 results, a time without
Facebook, WhatsApp, or mobile phones, was entirely different from the day Gen Z
students received theirs.
I appeared
for the SSLC exam in the latter half of the 90s. Since the exam was over,
everyone appeared to be eagerly waiting for the results. At that time, cricket
mania was at its peak. I spent most of the time in the backyard (Kalyani
Stadium) playing cricket and never missed the matches played at St George and
NSS school grounds in Chathannur. Even on the day when the results came out,
there was a match at Kalyani Stadium. It was around 5 pm. I was standing on the
field with a brilliant catch and a run-out when someone called from home. My
family friend who is a Secretariat employee was given the task of apprising the
results on the landline at my ancestral home. I didn't care about the mud on my
jersey and headed straight to the ancestral home. As soon as I got there, the
phone started ringing. The score of my cousin Nadia was revealed first – 564
out of 600. Then came my score – 471. I was 9 runs short of distinction, a
yardstick for intellectuals in those days.
In the next
day's newspaper, there were detailed reports on the SSLC exam results. Tempers
flared when my family spotted my classmate Jayalakshmi's photo amongst the rank
winners. A piece of advice followed: "Did you see the photos of brilliant
students appearing in leading dailies? It's time to give up your obsession with
cricket and concentrate on your studies." Along with the newspaper, there
were pamphlets from the main tuition centres in my hometown. I was counting on
seeing my photo, at least in it. Much to my dismay, the tuition centre in which
I was enrolled displayed pictures of the distinction holders and published the
register numbers of students who secured first class.
During the
time, even distant relatives were calling on the landline in my ancestral home
to enquire about the SSLC marks. Everyone I encountered in my village asked the
same question: “What score did you obtain on the SSLC exam?”. Jayalakshmi and
Nadia were felicitated by different organizations for their outstanding
performance. Chathannur Muslim Jamaat presented Nadia with a cash prize of Rs.
500 for her success in the SSLC examination. Even though the Rs. 500 cash prize
given by Kunduman Muslim Jamaat was rightfully mine, another student was
awarded the same due to my family's lack of interest. While Jayalakshmi, who
bagged the 9th rank, later became an Ayurvedic doctor, Nadia emerged as an
engineer in the Middle East. I went on to become a journalist.
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