... the end of an academic term. It serves to asses a student's knowledge and comprehension of all the subjects he has studied over the course of the term. Rather than tracking a student's progress over the course of the term, it judges his/her ability over a handful of written or oral pieces. This is obviously not an accurate indication of one's progress. Take for example the case of an intelligent and dexterous student who never fails to impress teachers and peers alike in his daily homework and assignments, but fell miserably short of the marks when it comes to the examinations, due to unforeseen circumstances that are not within his influence. These so-called "unforeseen circumstances" might be familial problems that have plunged the pupil into a deep mire of depression. Is it not unfair, then, to tag him as a 'failure' and, more crassly, a 'dim-witted' learner? As the rigid ...

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