Failing an Examination Does Not Mean Failing in Life: Social & State Awareness Must Be Strengthened to Prevent Suicide
The tragic reports of student suicides in different parts of the country on the day the 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination results were published have deeply shaken us.
According to media reports published up to the night of October 31, at least five students reportedly died by suicide in Satkhira, Magura, Lakshmipur and Thakurgaon.
Initial reports indicated a possible connection between these incidents and the students’ disappointment over their examination results and failure to pass.
The deaths of several students within a single day compel us to reconsider our education system, parental expectations and prevailing social attitudes.
Failing an examination does not mean that life is over. Students may perform poorly, fail to achieve their expected GPA or even fail an examination altogether.
However, none of these outcomes can be considered the ultimate measure of a person’s intelligence, abilities, potential or future. There is not just one path to success in life; there are many.
Some people achieve recognition through outstanding academic results, while others, despite not meeting conventional academic expectations, attain remarkable success in professional careers, business, technology, industry, literature, agriculture or social service.
Lessons from the Lives of Successful People
The lives of many renowned personalities around the world teach us that academic performance does not determine a person’s future.
The famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison had very limited formal education. As he did not make the expected progress at school during his childhood, his mother took responsibility for educating him at home.
His subsequent inventions played an important role in the advancement of science and technology.
Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister and Nobel laureate in Literature, failed the entrance examination for the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, twice.
He eventually gained admission on his third attempt. He later established a significant place in British politics and world history.
Richard Branson, the globally renowned entrepreneur and founder of Virgin Group, left school at the age of 16 and pursued his entrepreneurial ambitions.
He faced considerable challenges in conventional education due to dyslexia. Nevertheless, through his interests, creativity and initiative, he established himself in the international business community.
These examples demonstrate that even when people do not achieve their expected results in formal education, numerous opportunities for success remain open to them.
Such examples should not be interpreted as an argument against the importance of conventional education. Rather, they highlight the vital role that skills, creativity, perseverance and hard work can play in shaping a successful life.
Changing Society’s Excessive Focus on Examination Results Is Essential
Unfortunately, our society places enormous psychological pressure on students to achieve outstanding examination results.
Many parents associate their children’s academic performance with their own social status and family honour.
Children are often embarrassed or humiliated through comparisons with relatives, neighbours or classmates.
When students fail to achieve expected results, they may face criticism, reprimands or neglect. Yet this is precisely when they need compassion, encouragement, emotional support and guidance about their future.
Parents must understand that when a child fails an examination, their responsibility is not to reprimand the child but to stand beside them.
Instead of comparing them with other children, parents should help identify the areas where improvement is needed.
If necessary, they should facilitate renewed preparation, a change of academic subjects, technical education, skills-based training or alternative professional pathways.
Children must be reassured that their families will remain beside them regardless of their examination results. A family’s love and acceptance should never depend on grades or academic certificates.
Responsibilities of Educational Institutions and the State
Educational institutions also have important responsibilities in this regard. Their role should not be limited to teaching textbooks and preparing students for examinations.
They must also help students develop psychological resilience, self-confidence, the ability to cope with failure and practical life skills.
Every educational institution should have an effective counselling system. Particular attention must be given to students’ mental well-being before and after the publication of examination results.
The education system should become more practical, skills-oriented and employment-focused rather than remaining excessively dependent on examination results and certificates.
Alternative educational pathways should be available according to each student’s interests, abilities and potential. Technical and vocational education must also be given greater social recognition.
Skilled human resources are essential for economic development and employment generation.
In this regard, a positive government initiative deserves mention. The government has reportedly announced that students who fail one or two subjects in the 2026 HSC and equivalent examinations will be given an opportunity to retake those examinations within the following month.
If implemented, this initiative would spare many students from having to wait until the next academic year.
The Media Also Have a Responsibility
Excessive competition surrounding examination results, publicity focused primarily on GPA-5 achievements and unhealthy comparisons among students can create unnecessary psychological pressure.
Alongside publishing examination results, the media should highlight students’ diverse talents, vocational education and inspiring stories of alternative pathways to success.
Media coverage of suicide incidents must also be responsible and sensitive.
Rather than publicising methods of suicide or unnecessary details, reports should focus on prevention, psychological support and alternative solutions.
There Are Multiple Paths to Success
Every student has different abilities, interests and skills. It is unrealistic to expect everyone to become a doctor, engineer, government administrator or holder of the highest university degree.
Some may demonstrate their abilities through technical education, others through business, agriculture, technology or creative professions.
A dignified and productive life does not depend solely on conventional academic qualifications. It also requires skills, honesty, hard work, responsibility and self-confidence.
Islam also regards human life as immensely precious. It teaches patience in times of hardship and despair, reliance on Allah and sincere efforts to find solutions through all lawful means.
However, our responsibility does not end with offering advice or quoting religious teachings to someone experiencing psychological distress.
We must listen attentively, provide emotional support and arrange professional medical treatment or counselling when necessary.
Life Is Far More Valuable Than Examination Results
The recent incidents serve as a serious warning to our society. Examination results must never again become the cause of such irreparable grief for any family.
Children must be taught that stumbling in life is not a crime. True courage and success lie in finding the strength to rise again after a setback.
We must remember that a student who fails an examination can sit for it again, resume studies, change professions or set new goals in life. But once a life is lost, it can never be brought back.
Therefore, our message to students is clear: Never regard an examination result as the final verdict on your life.
Do not surrender to despair or lose confidence in yourself. Learn from your mistakes, prepare again and, if necessary, choose an alternative path.
Our appeal to parents is to give greater importance to their children’s lives, mental well-being and potential than to their examination results.
Our appeal to teachers is to help students develop self-confidence and the psychological strength to overcome failure.
Choose to face challenges, not suicide. Love life and make the best use of your potential. Many opportunities and possibilities still lie ahead of you.
Failure in a single examination does not mark the end of life; rather, it can become a stepping stone towards renewed determination, new challenges and eventual success.
(The writer is an Islamic Finance Specialist, Economist, Social and Political Thinker, Geopolitical Analyst, and Human Rights Activist)
