Change must to reduce exam stress: Educationists

Amritsar, April 19

The pressure of performing and proving their worth has taken many lives in the past couple of months.

Some of them committed suicide fearing poor performance in examinations. Many city-based educationists feel that there is a need to bring a change in the education system to reduce the pressure on young minds and also there is a requirement to create a holistic environment for the overall development of the child.

Recently, a 17-year-old youth committed suicide by jumping into the Beas river due to the stress of not getting the expected rank in a competitive examination. A schoolgirl also took the extreme step fearing failure in one of her subjects last month.

Anita Bhalla, Principal, Bhavan’s SL Public School, feels the curriculum of the higher education should be designed to help child beat competitive examinations. She said, “Sadly, theory is taught to child but the examination is objective. There should be efforts to bridge the gap. The CBSE has taken initiative from current session to help child to prepare ahead with few steps.”

“Parents should look at their children as an individual rather than a medium to fulfil their goals and ambitions. Each and every child is different,” added Bhalla, CBSE district nodal officer.

Cut off marks in competitive examinations should be reduced by institutes of higher education. It must be accordingly for an average child. This will make the mind of the child relax to focus on other things in life, suggested Neera Sharma, Principal, DAV Public School.

Mehal Singh, Principal, Khalsa College, says stress forces people to take such an extreme step so counselling cells must be established in colleges.