A survey of 740 school and college students from the city has found that one third
of those surveyed experienced stress due to academics.
Conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),
the survey was commissioned in January 2010 by the state government after a spate
of student suicides. The survey report was submitted last week.
The study included 330 students from private schools, 270 from civic schools and
140 students from colleges, all in the age group of 14 to 18 years.
“What students complained about most is that the education system is boring,“ said
Katy Gandevia, professor at the TISS' Centre for Health and Mental Health, who conducted
the study.
The survey found that 35% college students feared exams compared to 25% school students.
37% college students also said that their teachers never praised them.
Feedback on classroom teaching was that 80% school students were satisfied with
the method of teaching compared to 67% college students.
A study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Tiss) on stress among
city students has found that among children below 14 years, girls are more vulnerable
to suicides.
The report's analysis of recent suicide statistics (from the National Crime Records
Bureau) suggests that while men have a higher rate of suicide compared to women,
in the under 14 years age group, more girls compared to boys have committed suicide.
For instance, in 2009, in Maharashtra in the 15 to 29 years age group, 2,387 girls
committed suicide compared to 2,901 boys.
However, in the younger age group (under 14 years) 55 girls committed suicide compared
to 48 boys in the same year.
“This indicates that young girls under the age of 14 years are either highly stressed
in comparison to their male counterparts or are unable to cope with the stress,“
said the report, while suggesting that further research was required in the area.
“Boys just have that chilled out attitude, it just happens, girls just don't have
it,“ said Dristi Jain, 15, a college student.
The study report, which was submitted to the government last week, has recommended
that the state government should develop a policy to prevent student suicides and
make it mandatory for all schools to adopt it.
It recommends that all schools should have counsellors whom students can approach
for their problems. “It is expensive for a school to have a full-time counsellor,
but it is important to have someone for students to talk to,“ said Katy Gandevia,
a professor at Tiss Centre for Health and Mental Health.
“Children felt burdened under the expectations of their parents,“ said the report.
“During the interviews with the stakeholders, many identified family as the key
source of stress. The stress from family might not be direct, but it can indirectly
also cause a lot of friction in a student's life.“
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
