Examination fear turning school students into runaways, says NGO

BENGALURU: WITH the PU II exams set to begin on Thursday (March 1), and the SSLC exams next in line, a number of school students in the city seem to be stressed and are seeking an escape route. A good chunk of them head to the Majestic area to hop on to an outstation bus or train. A non-profit organisation working for street children in the city, Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (BOSCO), through interactions of its staff members with runaway children throughout February, attributed this to exam fear among students.

Out of the 350-odd children who have been rescued by the BOSCO staff from the KSRTC bus station and Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna railway station, 40 teenagers — including two girls — had left home to escape from the board exams, said Father Rubin Mathews, Director of BOSCO’s Childline. A few had also managed to reach the city from different parts of Karnataka, he said.  

With one of its offices functioning on Platform 4 of the City railway station, BOSCO staff visit these transport hubs daily, looking for children in a state of distress. “Last week, we rescued a 16-year-old girl who had left her home in Ballari to escape from her PU I exams (held between Feb 8 and Feb 27). She had lost her exam hall ticket and was afraid of the reaction of her parents. So, she took a bus and reached Bengaluru,” Mathews said. “Our staff took her to our centre, spoke to her extensively and then informed her parents. Both the child and parents were counselled and the teenager was sent back with them,” he added.

In another case, a girl was trying to leave the City from the bus station to escape the preparatory exams being held for Class 10, which begins on March 23. “Our staff found a boy at the city railway station earlier this month. He had taken a train to Tirupati to escape from the PUC I exam and later came back to the city. While they do not immediately tell us the reason, persistent questioning helps us understand that the stress of exams is proving too tough for a number of children to bear,” Fr Mathews said.

Students leaving home during or before exams is now turning to be an annual phenomenon, he explains. “While children running away from home happens right through the year, there is a big rise in numbers in the months of February/March as well as June/July,” he said. “Family is the best place for a child and we believe in uniting the kid with the family after much counselling,” Mathews said.

Dr Rameela Shekhar, Child and Adolescent Mental Health professional at Mangaluru, has appealed to parents to understand that every child is different. “Every child has a different potential. Parents need to help the child attain that,” she says. She stresses that parents need to realise that is it is crucial for the child to develop into a good person. “Simply performing well in studies does not ensure success in life,” Rameela cautions.