Exams no matter how old you are can strike fear in your heart. And if you are is standard X or XII they strike even more fear. The CBSE has now decided to provide counseling services to any student who needs it before their exam. This is a progressive move that should have come years back in this regard. One can’t say why it has taken this long.
CBSE counseling services
The Board has decided to provide psychological services for the time before and during the exams. This period covers February 1st to April 13th. This is the period when students are expected to be most stressed. The psychologists include principals and counselors from CBSE-affiliated schools.
Students can dial the toll-free number 1800 11 8004 to avail the services. The helpline will be operational from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. There are special services also put in place for the differently-abled students. Students with queries or suffering from anxiety can also write to [email protected]. These different services will definitely prove useful for the students in question.
Why these services are important
In 2017 the number of student suicides reported was high. It was reported that a student commits suicide every hour in India. Pressure on students in India to perform is on the average much higher. Often children are pushed to the limit to secure the highest marks. The pressure is even more so when society often puts marks above personalities.It becomes more complicated when universities and colleges around India set very high standards for admission making it difficult for students to pursue their academic endeavors without the exam pressure. This has been a regular story for India, a vicious cycle.
The board exams have become a rite of passage every student in India and some children are able to cope while others succumb to the pressure. These services should have been made available a long time back. But they are still hardly sufficient because children often don’t feel encouraged to talk about the pressures they face. Sometimes they are ashamed to feel this pressure and compare themselves to other students. Hopefully, these services change things for the better.