I congratulate all the graduating students this year. Because you have reached this far, that means you have hurdled the challenges and in the process made yourselves bigger than all these problems.

But good for you. Not everyone is able to make it. And in other countries, these school pressures have resulted to suicide even among young children.

A recent report indicated that the Bureau of Education in Hongkong is in quandary and in crisis over four pupils who committed suicide in just five days.

The government of Hongkong has provided more psychologists to the schools in response to this emergency. But an official expressed that the deployment of these psychologists is not the answer to this problem. It is only a band aid solution.

And I agree. Psychologists can only do so much. The fundamental cause of the problem, as the officials sees it, is on the score-oriented education system that had been putting increasing pressure on schools, parents and especially children.

Our very own educational system is not very far from that of Hongkong. We rely so much on test scores and point system. After school, we give our students bulk of homework to do. On top of that, we enroll our kids to every class conceivable; from tutorials to ballet, to music, arts and crafts, and the list is endless.

On their own, it’s not so bad. But when parents, school, and teachers, put so much emphasis on achievement, we are unduly putting pressure on our children. And the result can be as devastating as suicide.

We have become a very competitive society. And we know what competition does. We pit them against each other. That is not very healthy. And as a parent and psychologist, I make sure that I mitigate the pressure on my children by valuing them as they are and not much on what they achieve.

It is better to focus on effort than achievement. With effort, there is so much room for improvement without much pressure. With focus on achievement, there is not much space to be creative…especially to fail.

Significant lessons in life are learned only through failures. It is not healthy to overprotect our children from them. And when a school system is so tight about children’s mistakes, they unwittingly create a divide, a label, with those who are able on one side and the not so able on the other side.

Many of the kids in Hongkong are depressed. They are very busy with a lot of things but too little meaningful interaction with others. And with the mounting pressure, they easily bail out…yes, by killing themselves.

This is scary indeed. Life is not only about getting high scores and points. It is also about making mistakes, and failing without being judged at all.

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As a psychologist, I usually utilize psychometric tests to help me in making informed decisions about my clients. It is the same as an educator. I make evaluations of my students based on some form of tests, and most of the time (if not all the time), in the form of paper and pencil tests.

But I recognize that this is a very limited way to measure students’ potential and achievement. And many of our schools espouse the idea, as reflected in their curriculum and practices, that intelligence and achievement are general abilities and it is either a child has more of it, less of it, or none at all.

But it is a no brainer that in real life, challenges come not only in paper and pencil form but in many various ways. And when training, particularly in school, focuses solely on developing the language and reasoning skills through paper and pencil tests, then our schools fall short in really preparing our children for life.

I believe that intelligence is not just a general ability but they are specific abilities which blend together and allow the unique expression of an individual’s learning style and inclinations. I embrace Howard Gardner’s idea that intelligence is not solely measured by an IQ test but more so by its utility, through problem solving or fashioning a product, in a particular culture.

According to Gardner, there are seven intelligences or flavors of the mind so to speak, which has its own symbolic expression and core operations.

First in the list is Verbal-Linguistic intelligence. This is expressed in well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings, and rhythm of words. Examples of this are poets, writers, lawyers, hosts. This can be measured by an IQ test. Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns. Professions high in this intelligence are accountants, engineers, scientists, mathematicians, etc. This can also be measured through an IQ test.

Visual-Spatial Intelligence is the capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly. People high in this intelligence include architects, artists, truck drivers, navigators, webmaster, etc. This can also be measured by IQ test. Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence is the ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skillfully. Manny Pacquiao, Roger Federrer, Stephen Curry, dancers, etc. are endowed with this intelligence.

Musical Intelligence is the ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber. Musicians, voice instructors, audiologists, composers and conductors, are examples of this. Interpersonal Intelligence refers to the ability to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations, and desires of others. Actors, politicians, psychologists, teachers, leaders, are having this intelligence. Intrapersonal Intelligence is the capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes. Gurus, priests, counselors, are some of the people who have this.

While these intelligences have each distinct processing system, they blend together to create a profile unique for each person. How they contribute to the development and continuity of the society and culture one is in is the ultimate test of achievement. Hence, being in the honor roll is not the only evidence that you are intelligent; it is whether you are able to solve problems or create products valuable to your culture.

Now, the role of schools should be to cater, nurture, and celebrate all of these intelligences equilaterally. How, that will be for next issue.