Good grades vs. average grades, we always compare our children to others and add to their stress of already having to deal with a lot in life. At the crucial age when children are growing & developing, they discover the world around them, form social connections, explore their individuality, and further have the pressure to perform well in School and meet the expectations of their teachers & parents. What if the student doesn’t like a subject, say Science? Why is he expected to score well in a subject that is not of his interest then?

The Grading System was initially introduced with the sole purpose of accessing the Academic Performance of students and how well they have been able to grasp the topics that were taught in class. The Education system relied heavily on the percentages, which led to extreme competition to outdo classmates and be amongst the top 3 rankers. Now the question to ask is, does your child’s brilliance in the classroom really translate into success in life later? The answer could be maybe, or maybe not. Well, definitely not, if the child is being put through negative emotions like stress and anxiety early on in life, just to get good grades in school.

However, if parents understand the statement that; ‘Grades are not the focus in School, learning is the focus’, then it becomes easier for the student and all other stakeholders involved.

Most students have a phobia of studying Math as a subject, however, now this can be resolved by trying Mathletics as a fun learning platform. It is recommended by parents in the UAE and students enjoy indulging in the interesting Math modules and access a variety of video content, to ease their fear of learning. Mathletics also supports teachers and home tutors by presenting an analysis of the student’s performance and altering the pace of topics, accordingly.

Through the Blog so far, we have concluded that a love for learning cannot be ignited by creating fear or excessive worry in the child. Freedom to explore and passion for the subject matter are important aspects to be tapped upon.

The traditional education system was centered around the child having to memorize a lot of topics and then presenting them in the exam by recollecting the answers to the questions asked in the exam paper. This exercise is misinterpreted by students, as they would rut the chapter and prepare well only during exam time to get through with flying colors, but later, forget what was learned. This means when a scenario arises in real-life to apply the concepts learned, the child would struggle to do so because he has already forgotten the essence.

Just recently, the IB or International Baccalaureate culture is picking up pace and many traditional educational institutes are moving from state boards to IB. In cosmopolitan cities like Dubai, where expats from all over the world migrate for work, the School culture is changing rapidly. Foreign students mostly drift to IB learning, as it is more hands-on and the focus is placed on learning and not mugging to get grades.

The IB curriculum focuses not only on the usual subjects like; Math, Science, Language, and Social Studies, but goes beyond to inculcate relevant subjects like Robotics, Foreign Language, Fine Arts, Music, and Computer Science, which is the need for the hour. Students even get to choose the Subject they like and drop one that does not interest them.

Apart from Academics, IB schools focus on making the student an all-rounder by enforcing the importance of the following skills; confidence building, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and social responsibility All these real-life skills are extremely needed to survive and thrive in the digitally connected 21st-century world that we live in.

Students are encouraged to participate in seminars, inter-school competitions, and conduct presentations, for which marks are assigned. This allows the child to express his talent and earn rewards for it, versus writing boring lengthy exam papers by hand. In the Middle East alone, there are about 1,500 English-Medium schools that offer IB Diploma Programs. Since the curriculum follows such a holistic approach, College Universities are able to assess the child’s overall personality and capabilities, rather than just knowing their academic scores. If your child does well in IB, there are chances of easily getting-through top colleges not only in your region of GCC but globally, since the program is recognized all around the world!

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