WHERE ARE WE progressing? What is our goal? What do we need to achieve? These are certain questions that disturb me frequently. And news pieces like a teenager committing suicide even after getting 91per cent in his board exams that too in a state, which is said to be cent percent literate, leaves me thinking what exactly do we want? Where lies the loophole?
18-year-old Prince Thomas of Ernakulam district in Kerala strived day and night to secure that 91per cent. He must have had high expectations, which in turn depressed him to the core. Given the right environment and emotional family support, he could have excelled in any field.
Younger of the two siblings, Prince Thomas’ father was in a financial crunch after he suffered a major loss in business. To add to the worries of the family was the loan that they had taken for the studies of his elder sister. Thomas did not want to put extra pressure on his parents for his further studies, and that too by burdening them with a loan again.
Thomas is not the only case, there are many more who have ended their life simply because they could not keep up to their expectations of getting better percentage in the exams. Worst still are cases where students take their lives based on anticipation.
Recently, another boy in Tamil Nadu took the extreme step, as he feared getting low marks in his 12th standard. The results after declaration however showed that he scored a 94per cent.
A number of help lines have cropped up in the recent times to help children cope with various kinds of pressures. But though necessary steps are being taken to provide maximum counseling to these students, the number of suicide cases seems to be ever increasing.
Counsellors lament that in this rapidly growing age of technology and information flow, students are still in the dark about the number of opportunities that lie ahead of them and can also well be a satisfying source of livelihood.
“There is lack of information on what can be done later for the students after their examination get over so that they become self sufficient and not feel the burden of being dependent on their parents. These information needs to be circulated among the children. Booklets should be distributed among the students making them aware of such avenues. And I feel it is the sole responsibility of the schools to provide such insights to the students,” said Vidya Shankar, former Chairman of Juvenile Welfare and Chairperson of Relief Foundation, Chennai.
We may take note of the fact that very few people are aware of what the “Report to the People” of the UPA government for the year 2004 – 2007 states. According to it, the outstanding loans disbursed by public sector banks have been increased from 4,550 crore in 2003-04 to 10,005 crore in 2005-06. Hence, greater chances of getting a loan for higher education.
Pained by a number of suicide cases among the students, the Madras High Court has recently suggested a permanent mechanism to offer counselling in educational institutions.
Emphasizing on a more friendly and relaxed environment at home, Shankar says that until and unless the parent-children relationship changes, the goal is a far cry.
“The parents children relation also needs a change. There cannot be dictatorship at home. Both the parents should be friendly with their children and they should be discreet as to keep a tab on every move on their child without intruding into their privacy. A child should feel secure at home, as he faces threat from the outside world all other time,” she added.
“Children should be taught to deal with difficult situations in life. A child should be exposed to both the good and the bad things of life right from childhood. There should be a bridge in the generation gap, so that the child is free to discuss anything and everything with his/her parents,” said P V Sankara Narayanan, Director, Sneha, a 24 hours help line that provides emotional support to people with suicidal tendencies.
Narayanan also feels that media plays a very important role in raising the expectation of a particular student.
“The media has a big role to play. It gives so much of coverage and attention to the toppers. Everyone craves for media attention. This coupled with peer pressure, parental pressure and teachers pressure digs a pitfall for the student,” added Narayanan.
Leading Psychiatrist Dr Achal Bhagat, had founded Saarthak, a voluntary organization with a 24-hour help line in 1997 to address the needs of people, specially students undergoing depression due to various factors.
Dr Bhagat feels that the need of the hour is a strategic and consorted effort at all levels.
“There is a need for strategic effort with a partnership between the mental health professionals, the schools, the governmental agencies and the non-governmental agencies. Even though we were one of the pioneering organisations that started the hotline for young people, we are not advocating for the replication of the hotline as the only mental health service that is available to the young”, said Dr Bhagat.
Dr Bhagat also feels that presently mental health training is either classroom focused or hospital based. There is a need to make it based in the context of the educational system with hands on experience in dealing with young people. It has to be supervised and not just based on making career choices.
It may be mentioned that two per cent of the suicides every year are linked to failure in examinations.
According to the National Bureau of Crime Records, the total number of suicides in 2005 was 113,914 as compared to 108,506 in 2001.
In this suicide epidemic, which is afflicting the nation, Maharashtra's share was 12.7 per cent. The Bureau also noted that suicide deaths in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have consistently risen in the past few years.
With rising aspirations and expectation students in our country are gradually falling prey to the hands of death. The most sought after question today is: are we really imparting value based education to our children?
Source : merinews.com
18-year-old Prince Thomas of Ernakulam district in Kerala strived day and night to secure that 91per cent. He must have had high expectations, which in turn depressed him to the core. Given the right environment and emotional family support, he could have excelled in any field.
Younger of the two siblings, Prince Thomas’ father was in a financial crunch after he suffered a major loss in business. To add to the worries of the family was the loan that they had taken for the studies of his elder sister. Thomas did not want to put extra pressure on his parents for his further studies, and that too by burdening them with a loan again.
Thomas is not the only case, there are many more who have ended their life simply because they could not keep up to their expectations of getting better percentage in the exams. Worst still are cases where students take their lives based on anticipation.
Recently, another boy in Tamil Nadu took the extreme step, as he feared getting low marks in his 12th standard. The results after declaration however showed that he scored a 94per cent.
A number of help lines have cropped up in the recent times to help children cope with various kinds of pressures. But though necessary steps are being taken to provide maximum counseling to these students, the number of suicide cases seems to be ever increasing.
Counsellors lament that in this rapidly growing age of technology and information flow, students are still in the dark about the number of opportunities that lie ahead of them and can also well be a satisfying source of livelihood.
“There is lack of information on what can be done later for the students after their examination get over so that they become self sufficient and not feel the burden of being dependent on their parents. These information needs to be circulated among the children. Booklets should be distributed among the students making them aware of such avenues. And I feel it is the sole responsibility of the schools to provide such insights to the students,” said Vidya Shankar, former Chairman of Juvenile Welfare and Chairperson of Relief Foundation, Chennai.
We may take note of the fact that very few people are aware of what the “Report to the People” of the UPA government for the year 2004 – 2007 states. According to it, the outstanding loans disbursed by public sector banks have been increased from 4,550 crore in 2003-04 to 10,005 crore in 2005-06. Hence, greater chances of getting a loan for higher education.
Pained by a number of suicide cases among the students, the Madras High Court has recently suggested a permanent mechanism to offer counselling in educational institutions.
Emphasizing on a more friendly and relaxed environment at home, Shankar says that until and unless the parent-children relationship changes, the goal is a far cry.
“The parents children relation also needs a change. There cannot be dictatorship at home. Both the parents should be friendly with their children and they should be discreet as to keep a tab on every move on their child without intruding into their privacy. A child should feel secure at home, as he faces threat from the outside world all other time,” she added.
“Children should be taught to deal with difficult situations in life. A child should be exposed to both the good and the bad things of life right from childhood. There should be a bridge in the generation gap, so that the child is free to discuss anything and everything with his/her parents,” said P V Sankara Narayanan, Director, Sneha, a 24 hours help line that provides emotional support to people with suicidal tendencies.
Narayanan also feels that media plays a very important role in raising the expectation of a particular student.
“The media has a big role to play. It gives so much of coverage and attention to the toppers. Everyone craves for media attention. This coupled with peer pressure, parental pressure and teachers pressure digs a pitfall for the student,” added Narayanan.
Leading Psychiatrist Dr Achal Bhagat, had founded Saarthak, a voluntary organization with a 24-hour help line in 1997 to address the needs of people, specially students undergoing depression due to various factors.
Dr Bhagat feels that the need of the hour is a strategic and consorted effort at all levels.
“There is a need for strategic effort with a partnership between the mental health professionals, the schools, the governmental agencies and the non-governmental agencies. Even though we were one of the pioneering organisations that started the hotline for young people, we are not advocating for the replication of the hotline as the only mental health service that is available to the young”, said Dr Bhagat.
Dr Bhagat also feels that presently mental health training is either classroom focused or hospital based. There is a need to make it based in the context of the educational system with hands on experience in dealing with young people. It has to be supervised and not just based on making career choices.
It may be mentioned that two per cent of the suicides every year are linked to failure in examinations.
According to the National Bureau of Crime Records, the total number of suicides in 2005 was 113,914 as compared to 108,506 in 2001.
In this suicide epidemic, which is afflicting the nation, Maharashtra's share was 12.7 per cent. The Bureau also noted that suicide deaths in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have consistently risen in the past few years.
With rising aspirations and expectation students in our country are gradually falling prey to the hands of death. The most sought after question today is: are we really imparting value based education to our children?
Source : merinews.com