New Delhi, February 20
Parents should not mount pressure on their children ahead of next month’s annual school exams, the fear of which has already led to six suicides, a top psychologist has warned. “I can say from my own practice that nearly 300 schoolchildren have attempted suicide and six have succeeded (in Delhi) in the past two months,” Aruna Broota, a professor of psychology in the University of Delhi, said.
But these figures are just the tip of the iceberg. There might be innumerable others who are contemplating suicide over fear of examinations, especially those to be conducted in March for Class 10 and 12 students.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India’s apex board for school education, has launched a toll free interactive voice response tele-counselling facility to help students beat anxiety.
Students can avail of the service by dialling “1250111102” and “1250102.” Though it is children who suffer from anxiety, Broota feels it is parents who need counselling.
“Parents are the ones who are unable to establish a healthy relationship with their children right from childhood. They are never happy with what their child does and only want them to do what they want,” she explained.
These expectations, promoted a self-destructive attitude among children, who buckled when faced with pressure like performing well in examinations.
Parents should undergo counselling right from the time their children are in pre-school so that they learn how to appreciate what their children do and promote a healthy attitude among them. —
IANS
