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when curiosity matters more than marks

 


When Curiosity Matters More Than Marks

by Nidhi Guglani 



Why is it that whenever we talk about exams, the conversation almost always circles back to marks? For many children, the drive to score is not their own—it is imposed by the expectations of parents. Passing, for most, means just crossing that threshold of marks. Very few parents truly encourage their children to develop a love for learning itself.


The essence of education should be curiosity—the willingness to see every subject as something new, something that broadens the mind and deepens understanding. Sadly, this spirit is often lost in the grind of rote learning. Children are made to memorize, to reproduce words on paper, and to treat knowledge as a checklist, rather than as an experience to be lived.


It is common to see a child during exams sitting with books, yet their mind is elsewhere. The moment exams end, they quickly immerse themselves in gaming, music, or sports—as if studies were just an obstacle to be crossed before returning to what they truly enjoy. It is not about ability, but about interest. And that is where the system often fails—by making education a compulsion, rather than an invitation to explore.


True learning, I believe, is like understanding love. It is felt, absorbed, and carried within. It cannot be forced or reduced to numbers on a sheet.


As a teacher, my greatest wish is not to see my students chase marks, but to see them grow into independent learners. I want them to develop skills that will serve them for life—the ability to think critically, to analyze, to question, to share, and to engage in meaningful conversations. Education is not about accumulation, but about transformation.


If, in this journey, marks follow, they are only a bonus. What truly endures is the hard work, the curiosity, and the inner drive to learn. These are treasures that no exam can measure, but they remain with us for a lifetime.


This is what I want for my students, and for my own children too—not just learners of textbooks, but learners of life.


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