By Moksha Pillai
The ghoulish Ryan International School murder case just took a startling turn when a Class 11 student detained by the CBI confessed to the crime. This represents not a single mistake, but rather a collective failure on the part of India’s education system. The arrested juvenile?s reason to kill?which might come across as petty?has grown to become a great cause of concern for all stakeholders in pan-Indian education institutions. His motive didn?t reverberate of rivalry or vendetta but from the fear of examinations and the following Parent-Teacher-Meeting (PTM).
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It is being increasingly realized all over the world that economic well being and efficiency can be realized as humans reach higher intellectual and professional capabilities. A good quality human resource base is extremely important in today?s highly competitive environment; thereby prompting a paradigm shift from the welfare approach of education to the right based approach, providing the foundation for the right to dignified living through its transformative potential to develop. However, India?s educational fraternities today, have ironically upped their propagandas to achieve 100 percentile results at the cost of thousands of unsuspecting students, who continue to burden themselves with the overpowering coursework and co-curricular activities apart from studying for competitive examinations, to cement their bright future. Thus, these external conditions apart from other variables (such family pressure, atmosphere at home, relationship with parents etc) serve as a fertile ground for the manifestation of various psychological and health issues such as exam stress, depression, nervousness lethargy, lack of comprehension abilities and grasping power to name a few-All of which stand a sufficient chance to impact academic performance and trigger a Domino-effect of aftershocks including low-self esteem and apprehension over one?s performance in the exams.
According to Jean Piaget, ?The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things?. However, various International researchers such Lin and Chen (1995) noted a negative impact of academic pressure on students? intellectual, psychological, and physical growth, whereas Cheng (1999) enumerated that stress from high expectations of teachers, parents, and self is usually an agony for students studying in schools apart from other daily hassles such as shortage of time, personal respect, peer acceptance and relationship with friends. While all of these findings clearly point to the inefficiencies of the International Education System, why is it that students in India fear examinations to an extent of succumbing to suicidal and homicidal tendencies apart from encouraging substance abuse and causing depression?
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Despite the provisions of our ambitious Five Year Plan for 2012-2017, which lays emphasis on the role of education as the most important lever for social, economic and political transformation; maximum numbers of suicides and homicidal attacks have been witnessed in the 15-25 years age band. The upsurge of such incidents have actually led parents, students and schools alike to introspect on the matter and list out the causations of such a catastrophe. While, the need to escape the uncharitable court of exams, which seem to determine the near and far-end of a student?s life; apart from the ungrateful school timings, shortage of breaks, bullying by peers, emphasis on rote-learning, lack of innovative teaching pedagogy and high-levels of competition incited by highly- ambitious parents can be the some of the possible reasons for the same, but merely identifying the problems won?t help. Thus, there is an increasingly urgent need to address this issue and nip it at the bud through a detailed analysis of the trigger factors, role of third-parties and external environment to mediate the situation and suggest corrective measures.
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Just as prominent scientist Buckminster Fuller once said, “You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete?. Hence, the overhaul in our education system can be ushered-in through the following ways-
- An integrative and interactive schooling process that encourages the dynamic interaction between students and their parents; thereby allowing them to discuss and compare practical possibilities and performance trajectories rather than pinning unrealistic hopes on their children.
- Organising ?Periodic Parent-Student Counselling Sessions? to strengthen the bond between them and enable them to introspect their own failings and respective remedial measures rather than drowning in guilt and self-doubt.
- Promoting innovative ideas and class activities to generate student?s engagement in the classroom and facilitate greater communication and involvement.
- Promoting the mental and physical well-being of all students by focussing on the holistic development of each individual through meditation, Yoga, physical training, social service activities, outdoor walks and study-trips.
- Conducting expert sessions and lectures on ?Steps to Anxiety Reduction?, ?Time Management?, ? Aptitude Testing? to guide the students
- Providing a child-friendly and stimulating atmosphere at home, to lower the levels of stress amongst young students and help them progress in their academic life.
Thus, the key to a happy childhood doesn?t lie in robbing the innocence of your little-one and pushing him/her into the vicious cycle of stress, anxiety and depression in an attempt to fit the society?s barometer of credibility and worthiness; but rather walking hand-in-hand to achieve their dreams as they embark upon this wonderful journey called ?Life?.
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