Pase Wise April 07 - Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle

Pragya Kaushika
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Harbir Singh (name changed) is spending the entire night
weeping. With a 60% in the pre-board examinations, he has
failed to come under the 'above 85 marks' bracket of students.
Being one of the bright students, he finds this performance
depressing to the point that he has even expressed the desire to
commit suicide.
Vanshika Tawar (name changed) constantly stared at the
textbook until the teacher realised that she had been at the same
page for the past two hours. But she was not sitting blank. Her
mind was working. over several issues. She complains of
chronic fatigue.
These are not the only cases. According to Geetanjali Kumar,
a counsellor with the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE), there are two types of students who undergo depression
in a major way - one, those who are brilliant and are insecure
about not performing up to their parents' expectations, and two,
those who have procrastinated over their studies till the last
minute and cannot avoid them now. "Average students give their
board exams happily," comments Kumar.
Though CBSE has started 24 hour counselling lines to help
distressed students, there remains a few who refuse to open up
to peers or parents with their pressures and insecurities. Here,
parents have a major role to play in curbing suicidal tendencies.
"Parents need to be very observant of their children. Children
think that they can repay their parents' love and affection by
scoring well in the board exams. What they need to understand
and be told by their parents is that this love is unconditional.
Parents should minimise study related talk," says Bhavna
Barmi, child psychologist, Escorts hospital.
This year students are calling up for specific queries.
regarding course content and compartment' examinations.
"CBSE has introduced maths practicals this year and many
students appearing for the compartment exams are asking
whether they have to take these or not. The board has decided
that they need not, and their 80-mark paper will be evaluated on
par with 100 marks," says Anita
Sharma, who has been working with
the CBSE helpline since the last four
years.
SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR IN A
CHILD UNDER STRESS
* lack of appetite
* lack of sleep
* Frequent weeping bouts
* Chronic fatigue
* Aimless staring
* Sad facial expressions
* Negativity in conversations
* Self-alienation from friends and
family
* Out of character bahaviour
How the Family Can Help
* Any change in the child's
behaviour should be taken
seriously
* Do not stop discussing studies
with the child, but do minimise
such talk.
* Inspire and encourage the child
to achieve his or her goal
* Negotiate your goals with your
child's goal.
April 2007
30