LifeInBitesAndBytes

The Great Grade 5 Scholarship Exam: Turning Kids into Mini-Robots

The Grade 5 scholarship exam—a rite of passage for every Sri Lankan child. A test that, if it were a movie, would probably be a mix of “The Hunger Games” and “The Terminator,” minus the fun. As my son gears up for this annual roller coaster of stress, I cannot help but wonder: What exactly is this exam doing to our kids?

Remember when childhood was about playing in the mud, chasing butterflies, and believing in Ayurudu Kumaraya and Santa Claus? Well, not anymore! The Grade 5 scholarship exam has redefined childhood. Now, it is all about memorizing facts, solving math problems faster than a calculator, and practicing past papers until you can recite them in your sleep. Creativity? What is that? This exam trains our kids to be mini robots, designed to spit out precise answers with zero imagination.

School these days feels more like a boot camp. “Be the best!” seems to be the unofficial slogan, repeated by every teacher in every classroom. It is as if the only thing that matters is the number on that report card. Forget enjoying school, making friends, or learning for the sake of learning. Nope, it is all about being top of the class or you are nothing.

Here is the thing: many parents are on this crazy train, too. Desperate to see their kids succeed where they might have stumbled, they pile on the pressure. Tuition, extra classes, endless homework—it is like boot camp at home, too! But here is a little secret: this pressure is not making kids smarter; it is just making them miserable. And for what? To fulfill dreams that are not even theirs.

Time and again, we have heard whispers that this exam is on its way out. “This is the last year,” they say, giving parents a glimmer of hope. But year after year, the exam stubbornly remains, like an unwelcome guest who won’t leave. It is sad that the powers that be do not seem too interested in canceling an exam that does more harm than good.

Here is a thought: maybe this exam could serve a purpose for children who need admission to a so-called “good school.” But why subject children already in these privileged schools to the same grueling test? They are not moving anywhere, regardless of whether they score 200/200 or not. Yet, the justification given by teachers in these “better” schools is that their current students might be left behind when children from other schools, who have passed the scholarship exam, join them. Left behind in what? The race to become the best-trained robots who follow instructions without a second thought? The logic is baffling, to say the least.

What exactly is the “standard” we are upholding here? A standard where children are rewarded for their ability to memorize and recite information, lack of creativity, or independent thought? It is not just useless—it is downright dangerous. In the future, these kids will not have their voice; they will be just dummies, easily controlled and manipulated by anyone who can pull their strings. We are not fostering leaders or innovators; we are breeding conformity and compliance.

Now, do not get me wrong; my son is doing the exam too. But my husband and I have a different approach. We let him play, explore, and enjoy being a child. He is still learning, but at his own pace, without the looming shadow of ‘being the best’ hanging over him. Guess what? He is happier, more creative, and—dare I say it—a lucky kid compared to many of his peers.

At the end of the day, what are we achieving with this exam? Are we creating future leaders, thinkers, and innovators? Or are we just churning out a generation of test-takers, skilled at rote learning but lacking in creativity and critical thinking? It is high time we reconsider the value of this exam and ask ourselves if this is the education our kids deserve.

So here are my two cents: let us stop turning our kids into robots. Let them learn, explore, and grow in a way that values creativity and happiness over mere grades. After all, isn’t that what childhood is supposed to be about?