The TOI today reports the following news article!
New Delhi: Its a tragic tale of a bright young mind snuffed out, a grim reminder of how vulnerable children are to stress, and a lesson for all of us that marks should never be allowed to become a matter of life and death. On Sunday, a 15-year-old student of Sanskriti School, who had scored 97% in pre-board tests and was waiting for her Class X results, hanged herself at her south Delhi home.
Shefali Bhan did not leave behind a suicide note, but police suspect study-related stress. Shefali had been preparing for tests for admission into engineering coaching institutes and had made it to the merit list of one such centre. There are indications, as yet uncorroborated, that she did not want to take up science in class XI.
Shefalis body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her rented secondfloor flat at Satya Niketan, where she lived with her parents and two brothers, Abhishek (9) and Prateek (7). The family had gone to a friends house but Shefali stayed back.
The family returned around 9 pm to find the main door open and Shefali inside, dead. Their landlady, Mrs Gupta, recalled: The children came crying and said their mother was inconsolable. When I reached there, Shefalis body was lying on the floor. She added that the girl was any parents delight. She was a very intelligent girl and had scored 97% in her pre-boards..
The police were called in and the body sent for post mortem. On Monday, it was handed over to the family.
The police have registered a case of suicide. Though the post-mortem report is not out, it seems that the girl committed suicide. Her relatives said she was stressed as she could not cope with non-medical stream and extra coaching for competition examinations, a senior police official said.
Shefalis father, Suraj Bhan, is a director-level Indian Economic Services officer posted with the labour ministry. Her brothers also study at Sanskriti.
Meanwhile, the school has expressed shock at the news. Shefali was a very bright student and a nice child. We did not see any problem which could have forced her to take the extreme step, Gowri Ishwaran, principal of Sanskriti School, said.
From what can it be seen.. People today are horribly under stress.. Kids right from the class 2nd or 3rd fall under stress, and this tale is alike for all students. Even a brilliant girl, who scores 97% is unable to face this pressure...
The pressure becomes exceeedingly abnormal due to the constant expectations, nagging of parents and teachers. They want us to be on the top and then, there are so many things to study... With this growing competition, we can see, the result..
Any field, is without doubt, full of cut throat competition and it is astonishing. Talk to MBA... Nearly 1,50,000/- students sit for CAT and compete for about 1200 seats for IIMs
Such psychological pressure, is just too much to take, esp for the young children. It has affected their health, physcially and mentally....
The following article shows the gruesome effects of school bags on little children
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/547336.stm
Where are we heading to? To a society of book worms, where we have suicides, painful living of those who survive... children, going to schools with heavy bag-packs, like mules carrying excess luggage...
Is this what we r making our kids?
Enough said, but what is the solution:
a) We need to re-think our education pattern and it needs to be revised.
b) Parents and teachers need to understand and encourage the child. A single word of discouragement means a lot of down fall for the child. A child who is already in a lot of stress, becomes even more stressed, when the support is lacking
c) The curriculum needs to be designed in such a way, that there is a healthy development. All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy!
d) Schools should introduce proper phychological camps , where counsellors would tal to kids... There should be stress-relieving classes, like meditation and spiritual discourses, so that the tension built-up should be released.
e) Teachers should try to be more supporting. Rules are meant for benefit of the children, however, if they cause harm, then they need to be thought again
f) Parents should keep themselves involved with the activities of the child. Share his/her thoughts... Always be motivating and encouraging. This helps a lot.
g) The issue of heavy school bags need to thought about. Schools must provide lockers, so that kids dont have to carry the books everyday. Instead the school can issue printed material of that day's lecture so that the student does not have to carry the whole book with him.
Expecting more replies and comments!
Regards,
Gaurav
