Dear Editor,
At a time when the increasing cases of suicide among students due to the pressure of studies and examination performance have become a matter of concern, a very important initiative has been taken by the Union Education Ministry.
In its draft guidelines titled ‘Umeed’, the ministry has said that ‘wellness’ teams should be formed to prevent the rising problem of suicide among children and also if any student shows any sign related to the risk of suicide. If so then its immediate identification.
Help should be given to bring him out of such a situation. In fact, it can be marked as a complex problem that the new circumstances that have arisen in education during the last few years are creating such pressure in front of some students that sometimes they are not able to bear it.
And take steps like suicide. Along with the root causes of this situation, the problem is also that the children in such a situation do not get the support from around them at the right time and they keep getting trapped deeper in their complicated situation.
In such a situation, if a system can be set up within schools or educational institutions which can accurately assess the pressure and the circumstances arising from it and identify the students affected by it and provide timely concrete help, then it will not be difficult to overcome this problem.
Is in this matter, the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Education are an attempt to prepare a better path, the main idea behind which is to develop – ‘Every child matters’.
Under this, schools need to increase sensitivity and understanding as well as reduce their losses. Children have been asked to provide timely assistance to protect themselves from this disease.
However, suicide is not usually the result of sudden circumstances and social perceptions and thinking act as a major factor and influence. Therefore, the guidelines also focus on fostering partnerships between schools, parents and the community to promote social support and engagement to prevent suicide and eliminate negative attitudes associated with suicidal behaviour.
It is an irony that for children in school or any other Primary level education, which should be a means of easily acquiring knowledge, intellectual development and personality building, starts acting as a pressure, the burden of which becomes difficult for them to bear.
The question is, how does the unbridled competition to score the highest marks in every examination, to be successful in any competition and to achieve a position arise in children? The hunger to see the children on the basis of high marks in the examination, from the school, society and the parents themselves, has harmed the tender minds of children to such an extent. That it has a fatal impact on their discretion, patience and balance between studies.
Along with making the conditions of education and teaching comfortable and a means of acquiring knowledge, if the turmoil within the children can be identified in time and psychological support can be provided to them, then this problem can be solved.
But for this, the definition of number-based ambition will have to be changed and criteria for making better, sensitive and intelligent human beings will have to be prepared.
Vijay Garg
