Kriti Chauhan
Since the origin of the concept, Board exams have made a distinctive impact in the minds of students as well as their parents. Whether it is ‘pre-board’ exam stress or the ‘post-exam’ period, the Board exam hype has certainly grown year by year.
The board exam pattern in our country is really primitive and the same pattern is being followed till yet. If not anything, Board exam is the one common factor between us and our elders, which definitely would have taken the peace out of their lives and granted many sleepless nights to them too.
Well, in our life we have given many school and home examinations, right? Then why do we all have or do experience a sense of fright when it comes to Board examinations? Is it because of the pre-build-scary image of the Boards in our minds or the kind of apprehension instilled in the minds of people? This dreadful image has something to do away with the rising competition amongst the students and the struggle to be an ace.
The 21st century has undoubtedly brought many developments with it. There are various changes employed in every other sector of our country. Then why is our education sector still so primitive? In fact, earlier the situation was better.
At least then, the exams were designed to be a test for one’s intellectual mettle instead of comparing one’s strengths and weaknesses with the others, which is one of the reasons that has been perturbing many students and their parents.
Everybody wants their children to become Doctors, Engineers or CAs (according to the present trend). As a result of these aspirations, the load of Board exams tends to over burden the students that ultimately facilitate problems like lost appetite, under-confidence, nervousness, anxiety and even depression. These ailments are no strangers to the youngsters who are conditioned to look upon these exams as the be-all and end-all of academic achievements in school.
As the board exams end, the child suddenly feels a drift from the horrendous exam routine that had subjected him to unceasing fear and restlessness for quite a few days. However, little does he realize that this escape is not permanent, for the “result fear” has already made its place, leading to an unending account of anxiety and apprehension. Post results outcomes hold an even more significant value. Not a year goes by without the media reporting a number of suicides and suicide attempts by children due to their poor performance in these examinations.
Alleviation of this pre and post board stress is one solution to it. Apart from that, careful considerations should be given to a student’s mental state throughout the year. Parents can play an important role in this, by not levying the burden of their desires on the children and by monitoring their every step and activity.
The hype created in the media is perhaps the biggest reason which has been overlooked and thus needs to be now pondered seriously. Also, instead of doubting their abilities, the students should harbor self-confidence when facing such an experience.
Getting 60% or 90% is just one part of our lives. One should actually rise above these marks and stop considering it as the ultimately milestone of life.
Even though I disagree with almost everything in the article, its good to see Columns here.
Well it seems you are /were strong enough to tackle the first-time-board-fear. Good for you
I’ll rather not say so. I mean I had my nervous days, I too was a lot anxious the night before the math test but that is all natural. There’s nothing unique that can be attributed as induced by Boards alone.
The kids who aren’t in 12th have their share of nervousness with annual exams, elsewhere in the world for students graduating HS courses they’ve enrolled to, college they should get in gives them sleepless nights. You deal with stress at every wake of life, job interviews, hoping for the project you’re working on since two years to finish off peacefully, be it even confessing your love. We should also drop off that kids-are-tender-souls kind of argument because please, Kriti, do you think you are a tender soul? Sure we cannot do a great variety of things than people elder than us can do and think about but you gotta get started sometime!
Am no tender soul for sure. Btw am no kid either. And speaking about the anxiety that every one goes through. Well I agree on that but you see that the article focused on how boards affect kids. See http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100205-196894.html. Although it is an old one but since I couldn’t get the link of a recent news that talked about a kid who committed suicide after having failed in his BOARD exam. So my point was just to write about boards as a whole and not anxiety that one comes across through various phases of life.Moreover I do not condemn boards at all. Neither am blaming it wholly. It was basically just about how a kid deals,should deal and how people shouldn’t make a hype out of it.