The Paradox of Education Nation
Palms dripping with sweat, as I took the seat I was assigned by the invigilator. The seat, a cold, hard metal of some sort, did not help much with the inherent anxiety imbued in my mind. In an attempt to distract myself, I looked up at the fluorescent sign hanging from the ceiling at the front of the exam hall. . It read ‘Education Nation’. I traced my eyes at the bottom of the sign, which displayed a tagline, ‘Sculpting minds, stifling souls; ensuring that creativity takes a backseat and education prevails’
Scanning the room, it’s evident the amount of effort they’ve put for this, perfectly aligned rows of peers, identical postures, indistinguishable uniforms, it’s like we’ve been meticulously crafted to fit a certain stencil, or blueprint. My thoughts are abruptly obstructed by this horn rimmed, lanky invigilator handing me an OMR sheet, and yet again, all the students present in the room start jotting down the answers, almost instantly, as if revised the content multitudinous times. As I join the group of clones, I overhear a fragment of a conversation two parents are sharing outside the room while spectating us,
“They really do look the same, don’t they?”
“Isn’t it splendid? Think of the golden professions they’ll occupy in the future, who has time for individuality nowadays?”
I sigh.
By: Aadya Choudhary
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