In the world of education, particularly in regions like Kashmir, a disturbing trend has become increasingly evident—the race to claim credit for student success. Every time board results are declared, the air is filled with congratulatory messages, banners, and social media posts from tuition centers, coaching institutes, and private academies proudly showcasing their “toppers”. They project it as their success, their achievement, their hard work. But this raises an important question: Where were these institutions when the student was struggling? And where are they when the student fails?
The Hidden Hands Behind Every Result: Behind every successful student is a network of silent supporters: teachers who stayed after class to help with difficult concepts, parents who sacrificed their comfort, and students themselves who burned the midnight oil. But when results are declared, this collective effort is often overshadowed by loud claims from institutions that focus more on marketing than mentorship. In many cases, these academies and centers claim credit for students who may have only attended a few crash courses or joined late. The real academic journey—years of perseverance, one-on-one mentoring, emotional guidance—comes from schoolteachers, family members, and the students’ own determination. But sadly, their names never appear on the posters or in the headlines.
When The Student Fails, No One Steps Forward: More painful is wht happens when a student doesn’t do well. Suddenly, the same coaching centers and academies are nowhere to be seen. The student who was once part of their marketing campaign is now left to face blame alone. No teacher comes forward to say, “Yes, this was also our student.” No academy says, “We stand by them.” The student is now an orphan in the eyes of the system. This behavior sends a dangerous message to society—that only success deserves recognition, while failure deserves abandonment. It discourages risk-taking, it punishes vulnerability, and it undermines the very essence of education: growth through learning.
“Success indeed has many fathers, but failure should not be an orphan. Every student deserves support, before and after the results. Every teacher who toils silently deserves recognition. And every institution that truly cares must stand by its students—whether they shine or stumble.”
Education, Not a Business Transaction: Education is not a product, and students are not advertisements. Every learner is a work in progress. The role of an educator is not just to deliver results but to build character, resilience, and confidence. Celebrating only the high scorers and ignoring the rest turns education into a business, where only outcomes matter—not the process, not the ethics, not the emotional journey of the child.
Time To Change The Narrative: We need to start appreciating silent educators—the schoolteachers in remote villages, the mentors who don’t seek publicity, and the students who may not top exams but overcome personal battles just to appear in them. These stories deserve recognition just as much as those of toppers. And we must call out the selective credit culture. If an institute claims a student’s success, it must also take responsibility for the failures. Education should not be about optics; it should be about accountability, support, and sincerity.
Conclusion: Let us remember this: Success indeed has many fathers, but failure should not be an orphan. Every student deserves support, before and after the results. Every teacher who toils silently deserves recognition. And every institution that truly cares must stand by its students—whether they shine or stumble.
(The author is a freelancer. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Dr Aftab Jan
[email protected]
