Between testing times, many students are expected to breeze through the exam

A section of SSLC and higher secondary school students are confident that they will clear the upcoming examinations without any preparation, thanks to a potentially generous assessment in the wake of the uncertainty caused by the epidemic.

This was revealed during the counseling given by the Department of General Education. “Going from our conversations with SSLC students is definitely a class of students who have this type of mindset, and it is based on what they believe last year was when the exam was conducted amid the outbreak of the epidemic.” It was a highly lenient assessment. Psychosocial counselor Mahitha Vipinchandran said that a large number of students are falling ill due to a mixture of examination anxiety and weather conditions.

Counselors associated with Saherida clubs working in higher secondary schools under the Career Guidance and Adolescent Counseling Cell (CGACC) of the Department of General Education have also marked a trend of mis-confidence disturbances.

“This issue was also raised during the training session of Sohrid Club Coordinators,” he said. While a small degree of anxiety about the exam is considered good because it will motivate them to study, a completely anxiety-free situation is unsatisfactory. We are now trying to overcome this challenge through mentoring of students by our coordinators, who also serve as parents as stakeholders.

Reckless attitude was found to reflect reflection on students’ participation in educational activities and attendance at schools. The condition that attendance is not compulsory and subject to parental acceptance to stay away from schools is being exploited by this section.

For the studious among the student community, the prevailing epidemic situation, however, presents a different kind of concern. Mr. Azeem said, “He has not taken any kind of coaching to break into the entrance exam and is afraid that this may hamper his chances for higher studies.” They are also equally concerned about a possible situation where a large number of students end up with high marks as they generously set the question paper, which, they fear, could further harm their prospects.

Meanwhile, the Department of General Education has activated district and school-level counseling for psychological issues and support systems to address doubts about various academic disciplines by making public the contact numbers of faculty members.

“Everything is earmarked for the state level helpline held annually before the SSLC and Higher Secondary examinations. Telephone lines are ready and so are counselors. Unlike in the past, we were able to train 1,680 Sohrida coordinators in all higher secondary schools this time thanks to virtual sessions. The helpline will be activated as soon as the examination schedule is confirmed. “Mr. Azeem said.