Is broadcasting the SEA results harmful towards race relations?
We see it every year - the SEA results are released; the top performers are listed, the surnames are usually of Indian origin, the pictures are usually of straight hair children, they are usually from Hindu schools.
The same talking points will come up on social media - "Look at the surnames", "Indian children as expected", "African parents not doing their jobs", "PNM education failed them". Then 2 weeks later everyone forgets about it, until the same thing happens again next year; wash, rinse and repeat.
So I ask, is the broadcasting of SEA results harmful towards race relations? What is its purpose? Originally I saw it as a means for individual hard working children and their parents to show off their accomplishments and have bragging rights for the rest of their lives. But in reality the nation does not seem to celebrate the individual children themselves, but instead uses the results in a tongue in cheek way to berate black people and remind them annually that "Indians are better". This is just the general vibe I get from it every year, and I don't think it's beneficial to the nation.
All it truly does is further worsen race relations, similar to elections, and it makes black people appear "less valuable" because people are going to believe they're less intelligent, would want to hire them less and would be less likely to form business partnerships with them, because annual "reminders" like these leave a lasting subconscious impression that may alter our views and decisions, even if we stopped talking about the results 2 weeks later.
This might be controversial, but I believe the whole nationwide broadcasting of SEA results should be stopped, because the effects it has on the nation are quite toxic, with one side benefiting from it while the other side just gets their image tarnished even further.
I believe hard working children deserve praise, but let's be honest with ourselves here; that's not what's happening across the nation. These effects are much bigger and far reaching than the individual children, and overall I believe broadcasting these results is causing more harm than good.