Pvt schools assn launches free helpline to address exam stress

To help alleviate examination-related stress and to help students overcome the fear of examination, the Private School Welfare Association (PSWA), Haryana, has decided to impart counselling to stressed students via a dedicated helpline and joint counselling sessions for students and parents.

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The association’s state president, Ram Avtar Sharma, said approximately 3.4 crore students take board exams in India annually, with 10-15 per cent of them failing to clear exams. “Exam results remain the primary cause of stress, with an NCERT survey revealing that over 60 per of students experience stress related to results, while 33 per cent feel under pressure to match the performance of their peers,” he said.

The annual board examinations for classes X and XII approach in February and March, which marks the most critical phase of their academic journey.

The association has introduced three helpline numbers, 9053002213, 9053002214, and 9053002215, for students and parents.

Sharma said, according to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 1.75 lakh children committed suicide in the last 25 years. The suicide rate among students has grown twice as fast as the overall suicide rate in the last 20 years. Alarmingly, India reports the highest suicide rates globally among youth aged 15-29. The tragic trend even affects students in prestigious institutions like IITs, IIMs, and medical colleges, he added.

To tackle this crisis, the association has launched the helpline, aiming to foster a stress-free exam environment and reduce student suicides. The helpline will operate from 9 am to 9 pm, running annually from December 15 to March 31, Sharma said, adding that separate panels have been established for CBSE board students and Haryana School Education Board students.

Dr Aarti, a specialist in student counselling and parenting, will guide the students of CBSE and other boards, while Karan Mirg will counsel Haryana board students. Career coach Amit Dagar said the initiative aims to explain to students that exams are part of a continuous learning process, akin to the assessments they have faced throughout their academic journey.

Dr Aarti said counselling will involve stress-relief techniques, along with yoga and pranayama guidance. This approach intends to eliminate the fear of exams among students and help them understand that examinations are routine and manageable. The thoughtful initiative stands as a significant step toward reducing exam-related stress and fostering a healthier academic environment for students, she said.