How I passed my exam

Just as thousands of students and their parents are waiting anxiously for the results of the Class X board examination, so did I last summer 8212; for my daughter8217;s results.

Just as thousands of students and their parents are waiting anxiously for the results of the Class X board examination, so did I last summer 8212; for my daughter8217;s results. What was at stake was more than just her marks. It was to be a vindication of the way we chose to deal with her studies. My daughter is proud, lazy, and generous. She could, not, therefore, be faulted for refusing to join the rat race. Early in her childhood she displayed a yen for books but an abhorrence for studying. Hallmarks of genius, I thought.

We, therefore, never pushed her about her studies and helped only when required. She sailed through one class after the other, but when she entered class ten, we faced a difficulty: Science. My wife, with her background in the life sciences, could help her with the biology and chemistry, but physics was her bogey too. And I, with commerce as my background, was totally unfit for the task.

Reluctantly, we tried a tutor. But his teaching method was too exam-oriented to keep her interest alive. We, therefore, discontinued him. One day I took a long, hard look at her science textbook. To my surprise I found the physics part not only comprehensible but interesting. Hey, I thought to myself, with some effort I could handle it. Thus began my maiden attempt at helping her with her physics.

It was not easy. What helped was that my daughter liked the way I taught. We had to rely on the internet and other sources to understand the subject but we trundled along and fixed an achievable target of 80 per cent marks enough to gain admission into the science stream for the higher classes for ourselves. Her examinations went off well.

The day her results came I was at office. Although, overall, she had got 77 per cent marks, in science her score was much below our target. Her chances of getting admission into the science stream appeared dim. I was so disturbed, I could not bring myself to console her on the phone.

On the way home I went over the words I had carefully chosen to comfort her. But on getting there, to my great surprise and relief, I found her relaxed. And before I could say anything to her, she said, 8220;It8217;s okay, Papa, you tried your best.8221; She added, 8220;I have now decided to take up commerce so that you can continue to teach me.8221;

Now where in the world would you get such daughter?