Does Parental Pressure for High Marks Effects Negatively the Secondary Schools Students in Pakistan?

Abstract

In the Pakistani context, mostly the parents of school-going children are illiterate. They have initiated an unlogical competition between them for their children's high marks in secondary school examination. They want to be proud of their children's high marks, for which they stress their children with do or die situation. This phenomenon creates an atmosphere of exam phobia among the students, due to which mostly the school-going children think about committing suicide. If the suicide is not committed, they prefer to leave the schools forever, as they cannot compensate for the pressure created by their parents for high marks. Thus the school-dropout and suicide intention in school-going children are increasing day by day. This study analyzed different research papers to highlight the problem and provide a theoretical framework for the variables that have to be studied in the context. This study suggested that the principals need to confirm parents' awareness through PTC meetings about their children's harsh effects on their children for high marks. The government should change the examination system, which currently evaluates the student's memorizing capacity to assess the children critically.