Exam stress mounts, state education department helpline flooded with calls

Final exams are just a few days away and the pressure on students is palpable. Distress calls to the 14417 helpline of the school education department have risen by more than 55% to 14,000 in Feb from 9,000 in Jan, officials said.
Most callers fall within the age of 12 to 16 years, data from the helpline shows.

Complaints range from inability to plan effectively for exams, anxiety over results, mounting parental pressure and requests for guidance on higher education, said Shilpi Shukla, who heads the students’ helpline.

The staff working with the helpline say they spend at least 20 minutes with every caller. Students complain they were humiliated in classrooms by teachers for not acing tests. “Sometimes, students compare themselves with their peers and feel bad. This stress takes a toll on their health. They also resort to eating junk food or binge-watching,” Shukla said.

The pressure from parents is more for students of Classes X, XI or XII. “When I watch television or play games, my parents scold me. They have taken away my phone. How can I study all day?” said Shreya Singh, a Class XII student.
Schools take away study holidays by conducting special classes, students say.

Experts note that students are under pressure as schools often link their reputation to their academic performance. As a result, students are overwhelmed by extra classes and private tuition, besides their ongoing exam preparation at home, said senior psychiatrist Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, who heads Sneha. “This is where school counsellors need to step in.”

Seeking help from counsellors also comes with its share of challenges. Students say they are not comfortable talking to school counsellors as they are their teachers too. “In most cases, I am disturbed by how my teachers talk to me or have high expectations from us. It becomes awkward if I must share these issues with them,” said Class XI student Adithya Menon. Clinical psychologist Dr Sunil Kumar says schools must have an adequate number of trained and qualified counsellors.

Besides exam stress, students also fret about entrance exams, college admissions, tuition fee and scholarship opportunities. Last year, the helpline received 20,000 calls every day in March and April, Shukla said. “Our 82-member team can handle 10,000 calls. But we may expand the team as we expect a surge in calls soon,” she added.
Many students from the previous batch are being counselled for their higher education plans. Of 38 districts in the state, 16 have been covered by the helpline.

“We explain to them various schemes the state government is offering to help take up college education,” Shukla said. The department is also getting in touch with parents to enhance support at homes, she added.