Mrs. Nainital:- All of you have done horrible results in this Half-Yearly Exam. No one has got 80% marks in any of the subjects from both the sections of Class IX. Moreover, not a single student has passed in all the subjects. We will show you the answer sheets day after tomorrow and on next Monday, there is a parent-teacher meeting.
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Bidisha:- Hello! Arindam, what are you doing now?
Arindam:- Nothing at all; just waiting for the cyclone tomorrow.
Bidisha:- Cyclone! Oh! There is a depression a Bay of Bengal.
Arindam:- No, no, I am not talking about that type of cyclone. I have failed in 4 subjects in our Half-Yearly Exam. Tomorrow, there is a parent-teacher meeting. Even our topper has failed in 2 subjects. Basically, no one has passed in all the subjects. What about your Half-yearly results?
Bidisha:- Oh! For the first time in my education life, I have come second in a class. I am so happy.
Arindam:- Actually, you are in New Delhi, naah! It is under CBSE. In CBSE, it is very easy to pass in all the subjects.
Bidisha:- Yeah, it is easy to pass under CBSE but not so easy to get 93% marks in a Half-Yearly Exam to rank second. I have studied hard; that’s why, I came second.
Arindam:- Hmm…ok! Ok! Anyway, I am not in a mood to talk to you now. I will talk to you later. Bye.
Bidisha:- Bye and take care.
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Padmalochan (Father of Prakash):- What for do you go to school? For fashion show! To show styles! You have failed in 3 subjects. I am surprised to see that you have failed in Mathematics, a highly scoring subject. You failed in Physical Science also. Oh! Boy! Why am I wasting money on you for your studies! Go and work in a factory as a labor or do farming in a village. You don’t have to go to school and study.
Prakash (Talking in a weeping mode):- I have tried my best, but, still, I failed. The question papers were very tough.
Padmalochan:- What do you expect? In every exam, there will be easy questions. You will fail in Madhyamik Exam one year down the line and then you will say the same thing only. Better you remain in Class IX for 1 more year till you get fully prepared for the Madhyamik Exam.
Padmavati (Mother of Prakash):- Aah! Why are you scolding him like that? 80% of the students have failed in more than one subject. Let him study now. Leave him alone.
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Rupanjana:- Today is Diwali. Now it is around 8 PM. Ganga has not come in our terrace to celebrate Diwali with you. Strange! Is everything ok!
Anjana:- Ganga has failed in 5 subjects in the Half –Yearly Exam. His mom, dad and elder sister scolded him like anything. His mood is completely off now. He is not even talking to me. He is in his house only and studying books.
Rupanjana:- aha re…bechara…Why these boys don’t study before the exam, I really don’t know. Ekhon ar porashona kore ki hobe…Anyway, start lighting the candles on the terrace.
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Fatima:- After the Half-yearly result, all of us have become so serious and tensed. When we were in our junior classes, we used to think why the students of Class IX and X are so serious. Now, I understand the reason behind it. Look at our class; all are demoralized.
Indranil:- I don’t find any reason to get demoralized. Exams are like any cricket or football match. Either you will win or lose. What matters is; whether you are learning from your mistakes or not. When we lose a cricket or football match, we go back home and start thinking about the entire match and try to figure out the moments where our strategies went wrong. In the next match, we change that strategy and come up with new strategies to win the match. Here also, the situation is same. We just have to change the style of our studies.
Raqeeb:- Just by changing the style of your studies, you will get good marks. What a funny logic!
Indranil:- Aha! Practice makes a man perfect, no matter how dumb and illiterate he is. Before every match, you have to go for net practice, otherwise you will fail. But, once you practice hard to prepare yourself well, you get the self-confidence within you to fight back in the next match. When you are self-confident about your performing abilities, automatically, you get the courage to implement new, innovative strategies on your opponents to win the match.
Pramanik:- Sorry, Indranil. We are not a sportsman like you. That’s why; we do not understand what actually you are trying to say. All your ideas are going above our head.
Indranil:- Hmm…that’s the problem! In my opinion, everyone should have an attitude of a sportsman; otherwise, you will never have the zeal within you to comeback from anywhere.
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Mr. Roland:- So, what is the condition of the students of Class IX now?
Mr. Richards:- Oh! They are totally stunned. They are not laughing heartily nowadays. All are so tensed after such a poor result.
Mr. Roland:- That’s good! Now, it is the ideal time to teach them. Whatever you teach them now; they will listen to it very attentively and learn it quickly because they want to gain their self-confidence by doing a good result. After all; they have to prove to their parents that they can get good marks in exams.
Mr. Richards:- But, Sir! Sometimes, too many failures de-motivate a person to leave the battlefield.
Mr. Roland:- A coward runs away from a battlefield, not a warrior. A warrior always comes back in the battlefield to fight again and again till he wins the battle. In Class IX, majority of the students participate in extra-curricular activities and sports. So, they know how to win after repeated failures. A warrior never becomes a great warrior unless he loses a big battle. The defeat in that big battle creates the hunger in his belly to win a war, not the mini-battles only. Do one thing; tell all our teachers to take special classes in Class IX. Tell them to discuss those questions, which the majority of students have failed to answer.
Mr. Richards:- Ok, Sir! I will tell them.
Mr. Roland:- After 1 month, just before the Inter-House Sports, we will take the Unit Tests in Class IX. I am hoping that they will do better in those Unit Tests. Once they come out with good results, it will boost them to participate in the Inter-House Sports without any tensions.
Mr. Richards:- You really have a very diplomatic brain, Sir! I am damn sure that under your tenure, this Saint Sebastian School will go through rapid modernization in the education system.
Mr. Roland:- The ‘Conservative policies’ are like still waters in a pond, whereas the ‘Flexible policies’ are like the free flowing river waters which reaches the Blue Waters of Ocean. Small innovative ideas always pave the way for new reforms.
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Subir Sir:- You people are Bengali. Bengali is your mother tongue, but, still, you people don’t know how to write a good essay in Bengali. I gave you to write an essay on; ‘Nodir teere ekti Bot gacher Atmo katha’ (Auto-biography of an oak tree on a river bank). This is a reflective essay where the oak tree will tell us about the stories of its life. Except one or two students; all of you have started the essay like; ‘There was an oak tree beside a river. It witnessed so many things in its life’. That’s why; I gave them only 3 marks out of 15 for that essay. Rather, you should start the essay like this; ‘Hi, I am an Oak tree. I don’t remember exactly in which year I took birth beside this river, but, as per the villagers of this area, I will become a tree of 100 years old after a few months. Oh! I have witnessed so many things in my entire life. I saw the British Generals, Zamindars and now I see all those MLAs in this village area.’ So, you need to write in this way. A reflective essay means that you have to come out with a creative writing. Now, let me discuss about the Bengali grammar portions. After checking your answer sheets, I bet that you people have understood nothing about ‘Samas’, ‘Karok’ and ‘Pratay’ See, in the Bengali 2nd paper, there are 10 questions on Grammar where you have to attempt any 7 questions out of them each carrying 5 marks. You people should attempt those 7 questions which are easier for you to answer. In Madhyamik Exam, you should at least target to get 28 marks out of 35 marks. Eh! The bell has rung! Look, still there is time. Those who are feeling that they are very weak in Bengali; they can easily take private coaching from me. Ei, Ganga, what have you written in that ‘Bhabh Samprasaran’? What was the question, tell me?
Ganga:- ‘Nodir epaar kahe chariya niswas, oi pare teh sarba sukh amar biswas’ (It is always greener on the other side).
Subir Sir:- So, what does it mean, actually? You have written a story of a cow who was dreaming about too many grasses on the other side of the river while grazing on this side of the river.
Ganga:- What wrong have I written? The meaning remains the same.
Subir Sir:- No, no, try to write it based on human psychology. What a cow thinks about the grasses, that is not our main concern. You have to write that we the human beings always think that people living on the other side of the river are always happy, but actually it is not so.
Ganga:- Ok, Sir! I will remember this point.
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Mrs. Kundu:- It is you people only who were passing the comments, ’Madam, Madhyamik er English toh khub sojaa…je keu English e teh letter marks pete paarey’ (Madam, the English of Madhyamik Exam is too easy to get 80% marks by almost anyone). How many of you have passed in English; please raise your hands. Only 23 students have passed out of 42 students in Class IX A. So, English is not so an easy subject. Students who are very weak in English can take private coaching from me. Anyway, let me discuss some of the questions which majority students have failed to answer. Just don’t stare at me. Open your notebook and write down the answers. The antonym of the word, ‘dastard’ is ‘honorable’ and the antonym of the word ‘Occidental’ is ‘Oriental’.
Rabi:- Madam, what is the antonym of the word, ‘Celibacy’.
Mrs. Kundu:- It is ‘Marriage’. Now, tell me, what is the synonym of the word, ‘Cataclysm’?
Rabi:- It is ‘Violent Upheaval’, madam.
Mrs. Kundu:- How much have you got in English?
Rabi:- Just 53 marks, madam.
Mrs. Kundu:- Very poor marks. Anyway, you have passed in it. Ok! Sit down! Now, write down. The synonym of the word, ‘Brusque’ is ‘Impolite’. After the month of July it is the month of August. Can anyone tell me the meaning of the word, ‘August’?
Rihanna:- It is ‘Noble’, madam.
Mrs. Kundu:- That’s right! Now, write down the one word substitutions. ‘One who is over-anxious about one’s health’ is ‘Valetudinarian’; ‘A belief that nothing is known or likely to be known of the existence of God’ is ‘Agnosticism’. Is anyone in this class whose name is Sabyasachi? No one! Ok, anyway; write down another one word substitution. ‘Able to use both hands alike’ is ‘Ambidextrous’. I will start the chapter of ‘Will Powers of Sudha Chandran, the dancer’ in the next class.
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Srabanti:- Why both Subir Sir and Mrs. Kundu want some students to join their respective private coaching classes?
Bhanu:- It is pure business and nothing else.
Jahar:- No, I will join their coaching classes. There is a nuisance value in it. At least, till the Test Exam of Class X, you will not fail in English and Bengali if you take private coaching under them. After all; they will be checking our Bengali and English answer sheets. But, that does not mean; that you will not study in any other coaching centers like ‘Superstars’ or ‘Titans’.
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Mrs. Tiwary:- Which animals produce ultrasonic sounds? You people like to read the comics books of ‘Batman’, but, you don’t know that bats emit out ultrasonic sounds to fly in the darkness. How funny! Anyway, now tell me; which device converts sound energy into electrical energy?
Hardayal:- It is microphone, madam!
Mrs. Tiwary:- That’s right! Have you passed in Physical Science Exam?
Hardayal:- No, madam, I got 39 marks only.
Nonigopal:- Madam, I have a question. What is Rectification?
Mrs. Tiwary:- It is the process for changing high frequency electrical oscillation into a direct current. Accha, now, you, the girl at the 3rd bench corner; you tell me, ‘What is the value of absolute zero?’
Tiya:- I don’t know, madam! I have not attempted that question in the exam.
Mrs. Tiwary:- You, the boy sitting at the 2nd last bench middle; can you answer it?
Satya:- It is 273 degree Celsius.
Mrs. Tiwary:- Yeah! That’s the right answer. How much have you got in Physical Science?
Satya:- 62 marks, madam.
Mrs. Tiwary:- Oh! You are the one who got the highest marks in Physical Science. I checked your paper. Can you tell me the other name of N2O?
Satya:- Nitrous Oxide.
Mrs. Tiwary:- No, I was not looking for that answer. Tell me the other name of Nitrous Oxide.
Satya:- That I don’t know, madam!
Mrs. Tiwary:- Ok, sit down, Satya. Can anyone answer it?
Meenakshi:- It is ‘Laughing Gas’.
Mrs. Tiwary:- Ha ha ha…yeah! You are right, Meenakshi. Accha, which poisonous gas was involved in Bhopal Gas tragedy? Not a single student has been able to answer this question in the Exam. The answer is ‘Methyl Isocyanate.’ See you all in the next class, bye.
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Mrs. Amma:- I took 4 classes to teach you the chapter of ‘Cell division’, but, I think it was of no use at all. No one has answered that question, ‘In which phase of meiosis, the chromosomes undergo pairing?’ The answer is ‘Zygotene’ phase. Accha, another mistake you people did. Most of you wrote in the answer sheet that the largest gland in our human body is Pancreas. Some of you have also written ‘Large Intestine.’ But, the answer will be liver. Liver is the largest gland in our body.
Sumeet:- Madam, which types of plants grow on nitrogen deficient soils?
Mrs. Amma:- Insectivorous plants. The bell has rung or what!
Jahar:- Yes, madam! 5 minutes ago! Our History teacher is waiting outside.
Mrs. Amma (after going out of the classroom):- Oh! I am so sorry, Mrs. Poddar. I didn’t hear the bell.
Mrs. Poddar (while entering inside the classroom):- No, no, it’s ok! Actually, the sound of the bell is not so loud also.
Students of Class IX A:- Good afternoon, madam!
Mrs. Poddar:- aar Good afternoon! Tomader janyo ami baire mukh dekhatey paarchi naa…
Gurcharan:- Why madam?
Mrs. Poddar:- In this Half- Yearly Exam, only 11 students have passed in history exam. Tomader janyo amar chakri chole jaabey…ami besh bujhtey parchi…study hard from now on. Accha, who destroyed the Maratha power? No one has answered it. The answer is Ahmed Shah Abdali. What is the full form of INA? Everyone answered it in the exam. Everyone knows that Indian National Army was formed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, but in which year? Hardly a handful of students have answered it correctly. INA was formed in 1943.
Revathi:- Madam, who were the ‘Yu-Chis’?
Mrs. Poddar:- The Kushans only. Who was the first Rana of Mewar to be defeated by Akbar? No one answered it. The answer is Rana Uday Singh. Then, there was a question, ‘Nil Darpan was written in which year?’
Meenakshi:- We have no idea about ‘Nil Darpan’, madam?
Mrs. Poddar:- In 1860, based on the Indigo Movement, Dinabandhu Mitra of Bengal wrote the play, ‘Nil Darpan’. Read the text book thoroughly, otherwise, you people will never pass in history.
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Mrs. Samaddar:- What type of forest is the Sunderbans? Where is Arindam?
Arindam:- I am here, madam!
Mrs. Samaddar:- In the exam. You wrote the answer, ‘Sundari forest’. Idiot! Sundri trees are there in Sunderbans, but what type of forest is it?
Arindam:- That I don’t know, madam.
Mrs. Samaddar:- Luckily, you have passed the Geography exam. Anyway; the answer is ‘Tidal Forest’. Rihanna, please stand up! In the Map pointing, where have you pointed the Wular Lake in the India Map?
Rihanna:- I don’t really remember, madam.
Mrs. Samaddar:- From whom have you cheated that?
Rihanna:- From Prakash.
Prakash:- Madam, I cheated it from Joseph.
Mrs. Samaddar:- Joseph, you cheated from whom?
Joseph:- No, I have not cheated from anywhere.
Mrs. Samaddar:- You have sent Wular Lake to Kodaikanal region. Boss, if you don’t know, leave that. What’s the point in mapping Wular Lake in South India? Wular Lake is in North India. Practice map pointing. India Map has 10 marks and a sum on latitude or longitude will have 10 marks. So, in Madhyamik, you can easily score 20 out of 20 in these portions of the Geography paper. Accha, where is the origin of Teesta river? Tamang, you are from North Bengal. You must know the answer.
Tamang:- I don’t know, madam, though, I have done rafting in Teesta river once.
Mrs. Samaddar:- Shame on you! The Teesta River originates from the Jemn Glacier. What is the highest peak of Garo Hills?
Tamang:- I know the answer of this question. It is Nokrek.
Mrs. Samaddar:- Good! Sit down! In our Indian Union Territories, which are the two volcanic islands? Mainak, you got 59 marks in Geography which is the highest marks. You answer it.
Mainak:- Narcondam and Barren.
Mrs. Samaddar:- Excellent! Nonigopal, your native village is in South 24-Parganas which is nearer to Bay of Bengal. How many islands are there in Bay of Bengal as per the latest data?
Nonigopal:- In our text book, it is written as 204, but, as per latest data, it is 206.
Mrs. Samaddar:- Right answer. I will start the chapter of ‘Neighboring countries of India’ in the next class.
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Mrs. Mukherjee:- Ok! So, I have solved all the difficult questions of your Maths question paper. Tell me, frankly, were those sums to difficult to solve. Raja, you got the highest marks in Maths, but, in this question paper, I expected you to get more marks. You got only 62 marks. In Madhyamik Exam, you have to target to get 100 marks out of 100 in Mathematics. There should be no margin of error in it. Ok, you people have failed to solve the difficult sums, but, what about those easy sums. You people have forgotten algebra also. What a pathetic situation! Majority have failed to solve this question, ‘If a + b + c=0, then find the value of a3 + b3 + c3?’ How to solve it? Raja, come out and solve it on the blackboard.
Raja:- To solve this problem, you have to apply the formula; a3 + b3 + c3 = (a + b + c )3 – 3(b + c) (c + a) (a + b). Here in this case as a + b + c = 0, so, b + c = -a; c + a = -b; a + b = -c and (a + b +c)3= 0. Therefore, the answer is 3abc.
Mrs. Mukherjee:- Good! Go back to your seat, Raja. Now, another easy sum, many of you failed to solve it. If x + y + z = 0, then find the value of [(x + y) (y + z) (z + y) ] / xyz. By seeing the sum, there is a general tendency among the students to divide the numerator by the denominator one by one and make the sum more complicated. When I know that x + y + z =0, then it is also true that x + y = -z; y +z = -x and z + x = -y. Just put these values in the equation to get the answer as -1.
Binodini:- Madam, I have not attempted one easy question in the exam. Can I ask that?
Mrs. Mukherjee:- Yeah! Of course!
Binodini:- The salary of a worker is first increased by 10% and thereafter it was reduced by 10%. What was the change in his salary?
Mrs. Mukherjee:- You know, actually, algebra has made our life more complicated. Take the case of this sum only. You will start doing the sum by assuming that salary of a worker is x and then will proceed for further complicated steps. Forget about algebra. Think that you don’t know anything about algebra. Then how will you solve it.
Binodini:- I will try to solve it by simple arithmetic only without assuming anything.
Mrs. Mukherjee:- No, you will assume but not any variable like x, y or z. Assume in simple arithmetical way. Assume that the salary of a worker is 100 bucks. Then you proceed for the next step. Come on! Try it.
Binodini:- After 10% increase, the salary becomes 110 bucks and after 10% decrease on 110 bucks, it becomes 99 bucks. Therefore, his salary gets decreased by 1%.
Mrs. Mukherjee:- See! You solved the sum by yourself. I just guided you only. Mathematics is the easiest subject of the world, provided you know all the tricks to solve it down. Magic is not all about Mathematics but Mathematics is surely a magical subject. Love this subject, it will also love you. The more you fear and run away from Mathematics, the more it will make your life hell. Anyway, in the next class, I will start teaching you about ‘Compound Interest’.
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Mrs. Nainital:- From next week, you will have surprise unit tests in class. So, be prepared. On any day, on any subject, you will have a test of 25 marks. Best of luck!
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Nidhi (Prefect of Class X):- Excuse me! May I have a pin drop silence please? I have an announcement to make. For our ‘Swarnalipi’ magazine, you can submit your articles, drawings or any other write-ups to Mrs. Choudhury by the end of this month. The best entries will feature in the ‘Swarnalipi’ magazine.
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Meenakshi:- Aah! At least, we have done much better result in this Unit tests.
Joseph:- No one has failed this time. The highest marks in all the subjects are above 80%.
Indranil:- The questions in this Unit Tests were not so easy. Those questions were also tough, but, still, we came out with good results. Can you tell me, why?
Santu:- It is because of the fact that we had a goal with a proper game plan. This time, we were determined to do good results and that’s why; we achieved it.
Indranil:- Exactly! We started thinking like a sportsman to win the race.
Fatima:- Hmm…So, you meant to say that sports have a big role to play in our education.
Indranil:- Of course, it is indeed! Look at Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England. They are in almost every type of games. That’s why; the people of those nations are always ready to take up any challenge anywhere at any time.
Riku:- We have done well in the Unit Test. That’s it! Now, let us enjoy cold drinks. ‘Maaza’ company is giving free cold drinks to everyone as a marketing campaign. Come on; let’s go to the canteen now.
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Mr. Bairagi:- Students! Those who are interested for the Inter-House Sports are requested to come to the Eastern Park tomorrow after the 4th period for selections.
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