Academic achievement is held in very high respect in the society in which we now reside. Those unable to live up to the standards set for them are often subjected to severe criticism, which causes them to question their capabilities and intellect. Students nowadays are under a lot of pressure from their parents to do well in school and achieve their goals in life due to the very competitive environment in the world today. The immense strain placed on the pupils, on the other hand, stunts their capacity for development and education and increases their stress and worry levels.
Parental pressure on students
A parent’s most essential thing in the world is their child’s future. The educational institutions in our nation are always on the hunt for the most talented and best students to retain their reputation. As a result, parents feel obligated to set the bar too high for their children for them to compete with other kids. These days, parents are apprehensive about how the rest of the world will see their children, leading to increased parental pressure.
Parents often generalize the concepts of greatness and success depending on how their children compare to the performance of others. In addition to their academic pressures, children also face increasing pressure in other areas of their lives where they have their own interests, such as athletics, music, the arts, and so on. Therefore, without giving any thought to the healthy growth of a pupil, parents continue to push the limits, which leads to stress, disappointment, anxiety, and even suicide. According to the findings of a study that was carried out on 190 students who were enrolled in grades 11 and 12 at three private schools in Kolkata and three schools that the government aided, it was discovered that almost two-thirds of the students felt pressure from their parents to perform better academically.
Academic stress
In India’s public school system, instruction is mainly delivered via textbooks, and the emphasis is placed on daily memorization of information and extended periods of dedicated study time. The rigorous study schedules leave little room in one’s plan for leisure activities and interpersonal interactions. In addition, classmates have a great deal of competitiveness to outperform them and score higher. Students face academic pressure at every stage of their education, beginning with elementary school, continuing through high school, and culminating in the application process for postsecondary schools. The consistent mental strain from schoolwork unquestionably hurts the pupils’ overall mental health. In 2018, there were 1.3 lakh cases of suicide throughout the nation, and students accounted for 8% of those cases.
What can be done to reduce student stress?
Because kids spend the majority of their time in classrooms, instructors are in a prime position to play a beneficial role in reducing the stress that students are experiencing. How to do it:
- Students may be taught by their teachers the value of effective time management, which has been shown to significantly lower stress levels. They have to provide flexible due dates for the submission of the tasks. Not only will they feel less stressed due to this, but it will also keep them motivated to get their homework done.
- Instead of discouraging their students, teachers should praise the efforts of every one of their pupils.
- The classroom environment should promote humour and laughter, and teachers should try to make this happen. They can sometimes relate experiences from their childhoods to the pupils to strengthen the connection between them.
- Instead of cramming as much statistics and data as possible into the student’s heads, the lessons should focus on developing a higher level of comprehension.
Parents, just like teachers, have an essential part to play in helping children feel less stressed out about their schoolwork. How to do it:
- Students should have their parents encourage them to think positively and to develop healthy living patterns. A healthy lifestyle that incorporates appropriate eating and sleeping habits may significantly lessen the adverse effects of stress.
- It doesn’t matter whether it’s academics, athletics, or something else; parents should always accept their children’s flaws and faults. They need to educate their children that making mistakes is essential to success.
- Parents need to make an effort to speak to their children and address their worries if they see their children showing signs of dread or fear.
- The parents of a child should constantly make it a point to concentrate on the beautiful qualities and characteristics that the child has.
Conclusion
In an era when a decimal point may determine a person’s fate, there is an urgent need to address parental expectations and academic pressure. We need to work together as a unified group to conduct more in-depth research and more extensive studies to understand the challenges better and to design strategies to lighten the load placed on the younger generation.
