PERSPECTIVE
In the modern education landscape, examinations have become a source of overwhelming stress, impacting not just students but their families and leisure time as well. This pressure stems from intense competition and unhealthy comparisons, overshadowing healthy competition and jeopardizing overall well-being.
Students face a multitude of challenges at multiple levels. How to rut the figures, chronology, interpretations and perspectives in Social Sciences, make up the deficiency in Maths, find out the solution of mechanics and optics in Physics and, how to do all this in the shortest time? This gushes through the minds of children and often piles up the levels of stress and strain.
As understood and deliberated by many, I too wrote and spoke at several occasions and write again today that it is actually a berating of conventional system of examination entrenched for decades, widely recognized as a source of terror for students and a flawed method of evaluating their achievements which always terrifies and haunts the students, unnecessarily.
Systemic rot is there but the erratic stimulation from society also generates mess and stress. Unwanted, unscientific and unethical standards of efficiency, learning and performance for the students set by the people are unnatural and much more harmful. Unfortunately, these are popularly viewed as the sole parameters and indicators of success which they aren’t, often. Surprisingly, this is still being considered and weighed in career making opportunities.
The pervasive culture of competition pushes every student to vie for the top spot, leading to unbearable pressure for both students and parents alike. The rat race is so rampant that every student strives his hardest to be at first position that is only one in each class. There are indeed push factors from the parents and family behind this crazy mentality in which both- wards and parents, live under brain bursting pressure which is sure to tell upon their health and habit. No one seems to be contended at number second. In most of the cases, this ruins the social relations among the batch mates, peers, relatives and creates cramps at larger levels in society as well.
Experts in sociology, child psychology, and academia advocate for a paradigm shift in examination methods, stressing the importance of reforms that prioritize student well-being. While initiatives, like some provisions envisaged in the NEP-2020, have been introduced but transforming societal attitudes remains a gradual process. Finland is still far away and the mood of state and society seems to take time to change despite regular and well organised programmes on ‘Parekhsha pe Charcha’ under the supervision of Prime Minister, Mr Narinder Modi. In this static and stereotyped society, right now, we have to be adjusted and accommodated in the scenario we are in but surely need some ‘home made’ simple remedies at family level, apart from the appropriate counseling to be ensured by every teacher at institutional level. In the absence of sweeping changes, practical remedies are crucial. Parents, in particular, play a vital role in supporting their children during exams. I suggest:
Let parents be free from fear and stress when talking to their children during exams. Because children can smell even subtle feelings of their parents quite easily and do not need this extra burden on them during exam times. Parents should recall their own feelings related to exams and must learn from them in the present super sensitive times.
They need to reduce their own stress levels associated with the exams of their children, so focus on what works best for you in the situation. Engage with some meaningful activity that can release nervous tension and ease the mind. Support your child with sports activities.
Depending on your child’s levels of organization, it might be helpful to go through their study plan, helping them to break up their work into manageable pieces. Apart from excelling in studies, this is to make sure they schedule enough social time for a healthy balance.
Never ignore the changes in behaviour. As parents we should be enough vigilant to see how our children are responding to and managing their stress levels. If there are any notable changes in how they behave then have a dialogue and tell them how you can help. This simple act may be a potion in itself, as your child will feel listened to and supported too.
Check your child is eating normally or otherwise. Often exam pressures mean your child eats snack foods and misses out on a nutritious and balanced diet. Wrong diet leads to poor health and poor health results in under performance in these so called exams.
Emphasize the importance of sufficient sleep, as cramming late into the night negatively affects memory and mood which is a simple psychological fact with no second opinion. Encourage the old maxim of sleeping and rising early for better well-being.
Believe it strongly that exams particularly competitive ones at different levels are not the ‘be all and end all’ of your child’s life. We are more defined by how we act and respond to life events and situations through learned and refined life skills than by the figures we achieve on a test. If one door is closed, ten others are waiting to enter. We only have to explore them because the world is much bigger than what we apparently perceive it.
Don’t hover over your child like a drone or helicopter with too many demands at this time as any weird argument will be entirely counterproductive for you, your child and your “dream figures” in exams. Therefore, make sure that your child knows you are there to support them unconditionally regardless of the exam results.
Be positive to encourage your child to greet those who have scored more than him/her in exams. Remember, this would bring a big change at the end of the day.
Finally, we all watch around us how some children rise and shine of their own whose parents are quite simple, unlettered and unaware without the feelings of drone parenting. Let’s us learn from their simplicity, innocence and wisdom that taking care is prospective which every parent must do. To be mindful and serious about the career of your child is a responsibility but never try to act like God of your wards.
(The author is a regular columnist of Rising Kashmir and can be reached at: [email protected])
