NEW DELHI, May 24: Counsellors have geared up to handle depressed students and advised parents to show enough sensitivity towards their wards and make them feel easy as the CBSE results are on way.
CBSE has set up a toll free helpline for students all over India at 18001803456 where expert panel of counsellors will help students and parents tide over the emotional crisis after an unfavourable result.
People can avail one-on-one counselling from 8 AM to midnight for exam-related enquiries through the helpline.
Having student helplines and suicide helplines might help to prevent certain cases, Shrity Sharan, a clinical psychologist, said that if a person’s support system is strong, then they would not need counselling.
Sharan said, “students, especially from out of town lack a support system and are very vulnerable, they need a lot of support. All colleges and schools should have qualified psychologist at least with a masters degree and not just someone who wants to help.”
The pre-result stress turns to relief for some lucky students who get the desired marks, but for others it gives way to disappointment as they are not able to live up to expectations.
“If I don’t get good marks, I won’t get admission to science stream,” Mitali Sharma, who studies at Delhi Public School and wants to be a microbiologist.
Supportive parents and friends often help to pull through this difficult phase, but in some cases, the stress and sense of failure is so high that students feel compelled to take their lives as they feel they will not have the future they dreamt of.
To curb such instances, several helplines have been set up. Most work round-the year, however, the more popular ones set up extra lines during exams and results.
“We have started a new hotline which will be open till June 2, especially for students who are facing their Class X results, as we expect to receive more than 200 calls per day,” Abdul Mabood, director of Snehi, non-governmental mental healthcare organisation, said.
“Students, or even their parents can call up any time between 10 AM to 7 PM on 011-65978181 or email at hopeline98@gmail.Com. We have several trained counsellors to deal with stress and anxiety faced by students,” Mabood said.
While the board has made it mandatory for all schools to have a counsellor, Mabood claimed not all schools have implemented this.
“CBSE has made it mandatory for all schools and colleges to have a counsellor, very few have actually implemented it. In
India, people go in for suicide helpline as last option, when all other options have been exhausted,” he said.
The problem of societal and peer pressure to perform outstandingly well at any cost can be nipped in the bud if parents have the right approach, feels Gitanjali Kala, who teaches journalism at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce.
“A child’s view is developed by her parents. If parents show enough sensitivity and don’t make a child feel that there is no life outside a certain school or college, it would make a lot of difference,” she says.
Children with strong friendships and good support system rarely need counselling and schools and colleges should take steps to enable them to take good decisions and build confidence, she added. (PTI)
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