When Churchill was about twelve years old, he had to take an entrance examination to join Harrow School. He already knew that the exam would include questions from Latin and mathematics, subjects he strongly disliked. His favourite subjects such as history and poetry would not help him in the examination.

When he entered the examination hall, he felt nervous. In the Latin paper, he could not answer any of the questions. The only thing he wrote on the answer sheet was the number of the first question. He became so upset that tears rolled down his face and fell on the answer paper.

The examiners collected his paper and sent it to the headmaster, Dr. Welldon. Somehow the headmaster decided to give Churchill a pass certificate.

Churchill was admitted to Harrow School, but he was placed in the third or lowest division, which was the bottom section of the school.

According to the tradition at Harrow School, students had to walk past a master in the schoolyard and answer when their names were called during roll call. Churchill’s name appeared near the end of the list. When he came forward, the other students stared at him because his father was a famous political leader. Some students even remarked, “Why, he’s last of all.”

Despite his weak performance in the examination, Churchill later became one of the greatest leaders and writers in British history.

Message of the Essay:

The essay teaches that examinations are not always the best measure of a student’s abilities or intelligence. Every student has different talents, and education should help them develop their strengths.