Prioritise students’ mental health over their exam results

THE harrowing words of an 18-year-old in her suicide note — “Mummy, papa I can’t do JEE. So, I suicide, I am loser. I am worst daughter. Sorry mummy papa. Yahi last option he” — reflect a stark reality. As school education and entrance exam results come out, we are inevitably approaching a familiar crisis of student distress, with suicide as its most devastating outcome.

Once again, eye-catching posters of academic centres boasting of unprecedented success will grab the attention of students and parents alike. Driven by the conviction that tuition is indispensable, these centres contribute to what an Asian Development Bank report terms the shadow education market. The coaching industry in India currently generates revenue of Rs 58,088 crore, as reported by the Infinium Global Research, a consultancy firm based in Pune. Projections indicate that the industry’s growth will escalate significantly, reaching Rs 1,33,995 crore by 2028.

The academic choices of students are frequently overlooked, shifting from the earlier medicine-engineering divide to a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and medicine). Parents’ aspirations for the success of their children have given a boost to a system that has led to a proliferation of urban coaching centres. However, as emphasised by a report of the Joint Implementation Committee governing the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), this rush has created an imbalance. The report reveals that over 76 per cent of the students hail from urban areas, with few coming from state board-affiliated schools. The rise of shadow education creates divisions among students, hindering improvement in schooling as influential parents gravitate towards it. Consequently, at a societal level, it worsens social stratification.

It is not advisable for traditional schooling to prioritise or emulate private coaching institutes, as this would result in catering only to a select few students while neglecting the broader student population. Such an approach can further marginalise the average student.

In India, STEM education is intensely competitive. For perspective, the prestigious IITs accept only one in 50 applicants, while Harvard admits one in 19 and Oxford one in six. Exams like the JEE and NEET are designed to be highly selective, where losing even a single mark can drop a candidate thousands of ranks. Consequently, parents, often unwittingly, and coaching centres, with clear culpability, treat students as commodities — based on the financial resources that well-intentioned but misguided parents are willing to invest.

The results could be devastating. High school student surveys in India reveal a disturbing prevalence of suicidal thoughts, ranging from 6 per cent to 22 per cent, according to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Our education and societal structures reinforce the idea that success is easily attainable through hard work, thus normalising the notion that young people should shoulder the blame for their perceived ‘failures’.

According to the NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau), in 2020, a student committed suicide every 42 minutes in India, totalling over 34 suicides daily. Alarmingly, this grave crisis is often viewed as an individual issue, which absolves society of responsibility and overlooks systemic failures. In 2020, farmers made up 7 per cent of all suicides, highlighting an acknowledged agrarian crisis. Yet, even though students accounted for 8 per cent of suicides, society fails to recognise this as a sign of academic distress — a troubling oversight given that education is meant to prepare the next generation of nation-builders. Another study in the journal YMER underscores a grim reality: 80 per cent of students experience stress from the pressure to meet parental expectations, while 55 per cent cite parental imposition of choices as a significant stressor. These findings highlight a critical oversight in recognising the pivotal role of parents and counselling in addressing student mental health challenges.

The prevailing myth of the Indian family’s unconditional support warrants scrutiny. As the fundamental social unit, the family influences the aspirations and ambitions of youth. The alarming increase in student suicides prompts us to reconsider the true nature of familial support and its potential role as a significant factor in this troubling trend.

The installation of spring-loaded fans that can’t bear more than 40 kg of weight and ‘anti-suicide nets’ in Kota hostels highlights a disturbingly shallow response to student suicides that is callous and dehumanising. Not addressing the root causes of student distress is a societal failure.

Capitalising on the promise of a brighter future, coaching centres have risen to prominence within the education sector. Yet, these establishments are increasingly perceived as confinements for the hopeful youth who enrol, where their aspirations, spirits and ambitions are stifled.

Shadow education has become deeply entrenched. Policymakers must now explore methods of coexistence and seek symbiosis rather than confrontation. Forming partnerships could be instrumental in advancing social justice. The Government of India’s guidelines for regulating coaching centres in 2024 must be followed by states and rigorously enforced. Since the shadow education sector operates on a business model, it should be held accountable for corporate social responsibility, including subsidising fees for economically weaker students, girls and those from rural backgrounds.

Teachers and parents must acknowledge the abundance of professional opportunities. Our culture must prioritise student mental health over exam results and impart virtues like perseverance, determination and patience in addition to academic success. In a world that can be a gruelling test, every youngster requires a strong social support system. It is crucial to instil in them the notion that suicide is never a solution, especially when systems are paradoxically designed to reject rather than select. Establishing multidisciplinary helplines for students in distress could be a crucial starting point in addressing this pressing issue.

From Epicurus’ belief in pursuing our deepest desires for true happiness to Rabindranath Tagore’s dictum at Visva Bharati that no endeavour is devoid of value, urgent societal action is imperative to recognise, acknowledge and address this crisis.