Why We Should Move Beyond The Concept Of “Toppers”

“Toppers” is a term in the realm of education and often shines brightly like a badge of honor. It means achievement, discipline, and success. Behind the glitter lies a reality that is neither fair nor just. The conception of toppers gives rise to unnecessary divides, unhealthy competition, and transcends the principle of holistic learning. Eliminating the concept of toppers can pave the way for a more just and compassionate education system.

It has nothing to do with standing on top. In fact, with true education, it’s really about standing tall. When we expose or give more greatness to toppers, we unconsciously demote the efforts of those who may not fit into the narrow framework created for achieving academic success. Think of the child of a farmer excelling in practical knowledge or a street artist painting emotions that words cannot express. Does that contribution mean any less than that of a class topper? Certainly not. As the Indian saying goes, “Kaam bade chhote nahi hote” — no work is small or insignificant.

The very concept of toppers creates a damaging culture of comparison. Children constantly are judged against this one yardstick and their individual strengths and passions are ignored in this mad dash to be first. Lost in this race is their individuality by so many of the students. They begin to equate their self-worth with grades and ranks. Imagine the plight of a young mind who believes they are a failure just because they didn’t score the highest marks. This isn’t education; it is a system strangulating potential instead of giving it life.

Let us not forget that greatness is not measured by marks on a report card but by the marks we leave upon the world. Rejected by the Indian Air Force, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was once rejected by the Indian Air Force. Did failure define him? No. His journey reminds us that persistence and passion are much more important than the brief glory of being a topper.

Indeed, this pressure to become a topper has taken its toll on students’ mental health. A child who is afraid of failure loses out on the fun of learning. Instead of asking about what someone scored, let us ask him what he learned. When education focuses on growth and understanding and not on ranking, then it becomes a tool to empower instead of stressing.

Collective progress is always emphasized in Indian society rather than individual achievement. This is taught in the Rigveda: “Samgachhadhvam samvadadhvam sam vo manamsi janatam”-let us walk together, speak together, and think together. The concept of toppers goes against this ethos, with the theme of individual triumph over collective success.

In a topperless classroom, each child is celebrated for his own unique gift. The artist, the athlete, the innovator, and the scholar stand alongside one another as members of a vibrant and inclusive community. Education in its purest form should teach empathy, creativity, and resiliency. It should foster problem-solvers, dreamers, and doers-not toppers.

A true learner is never in a race, for their journey is their destination, as I always say, quoting a line that I love to hold dear. That will be the time we redefine success-not ranks, but purpose. And doing that will spearhead a generation that pursues knowledge over numbers, collaboration over competition, and character over certificates.

The time has come to shift the focus. Let’s appreciate every child and not just the one at the top of the leaderboard. For in the garden of life, each flower blooms in its own time and adds to the beauty of this world.

It’s a very diversed place, and the very notion of “toppers” vails the real purpose of education. Anxious parents comparing report cards at parent-teacher meetings; coaching institutes plastering faces of toppers on hoardings, it’s all a culture that pits one individual against another unnecessarily. Is this race, in reality, the true reflection of the potential of a student? Let’s take a classroom where every child learns differently. It can ace the algebra, while the other can narrate a story that touches hearts. Their worth cannot be reduced to numbers as they are a vast ocean of talent for our youth.

Take, for example, the famous story of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who, as a boy from Rameswaram, did selling newspapers as a small boy to feed his family to earn bread. His life reminds us that success is not about being the best in class but rather about the persistent pursuit of excellence in his area of uniqueness. If Dr Kalam had been judged only by his marks, the world would have missed one of India’s greatest minds. Similarly, the farmer’s child who learns better about weather than from textbooks or the tailor’s apprentice who designs intricate embroidery hold no lesser value to society than that school topper.

Indian families, judging by general parenting standards, make education paramount, as they believe that a high percentage score is the way to safe future. But this is changing. From Irfan Khan, beginning in Jaipur from pretty humble backgrounds to becoming a global icon, or cricketers like MS Dhoni, who hail from Ranchi and came to be known as “captain cool” of India, so many stories can be picked up who weren’t “toppers” as per academic background but went on leaving an indelible mark on their field. These stories deeply resonate as these lessons teach that so long as passion and hard work are added with more emphasis, grades hold less importance.

Obsession with toppers can also lead to strained family relationships. How many times have we heard of a child being compared to her cousin who performed better in the examination because she scored more percentage? Such comparisons sow seeds of insecurity and hatred. Education is supposed to strengthen family bonds but not weaken them in Indian culture. Instead of making them compete for toppers, we should help children come together as friends, with a thirst for gaining knowledge, and grow together as one being. As the Bhagavad Gita teaches us, “Yoga karmasu kaushalam”—excellence in action is true education.

The place where the topper concept almost does not exist is the villages of India. There, children study under streetlights and still manage to contribute to their family’s livelihood. This resilience teaches us that education is not merely marking good grades but the character, hard work, and community. Such values are easily overlooked in cities where success is solely defined by ranks. If this inspiration was drawn from these children balancing life and learning with such dignity, the empowerment of our system of education would be locked.

Imagine a class where there are no toppers—a place where the boy who builds fantastic models out of scrap is celebrated along with the girl who can recite poetry in pristine Urdu. It would be an epiphany based on the great Rabindranath Tagore’s words for Gitanjali: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; where knowledge is free…”A system devoid of toppers would enable every student to hold his/her head high, proudly owning up to his/her unique journey.

India is strong only when the collective spirit is there-in a cricket match, each individual’s action counts, and in the festival, every hand contributes toward creating the celebration. Education, too, should recognize this spirit by celebrating the unique potential of every child. We celebrate not merely individual success but also common progress in our society if we shift from toppers alone.