RAVINDER SINGH MALIK
Chandigarh
Claims of the Haryana government to manage the academic stress of students seem insufficient as the department could not set up counselling centre and appoint counsellors and psychologist in 9 districts of the state so far. Academic stress due to the educational expectations from examination system, parents, teahcers, peers and family members continues to spread fear among students resulting in poor performance and declining result also. In views of the board exams of 10 and 12 standards in the first week of March the campaign and lecture series by the counsellors and psychologist regarding stress busting have to begin on January 16 with ending of winter vacations in schools. The same will end in February. The Education department failed to appoint psychologists so far in 9 districts of the state which shows the casual approach of education department and the government. The department claimed that required steps will be taken to manage the stress of students. It was decided with a set of objectives to enable students to be assertive and self-confident to deal with academic stress and poor academic performance. The poor performance of the students was an essential factor behind setting up the counselling cell.

It is pertinent to mention that there are 3,259 high and senior secondary schools in the state, out of these 2,058 are senior secondary schools and remaining schools fall under 10 standard education. . The list of districts where counselling centres were set up in 2018 includes Faridabad, Panchkula, Rohtak, Sonipat, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Mahendergarh, Bhiwani, Rewari, Kurukshetra, Jhajjar, Gurugram and Rewari.Though the education department has prepared the content to be taught to students in schools before exam but due to the lack of counsellors and centres it will be useless. It is learnt that the contents prepared by the education department contains fruitful suggestions such as to exercise, playing, listening to music or watching television during preparation of the exams. “Three more counselling centres are to be set up in three districts and it was new step so it may take some time to set up these centres and appointing counsellors in rest of the districts,” told senior official of the department Nand Kishor Verma. The process in this regard is underway, he added.
It also came to light that poor result in X standard across the state in 2018 also has emerged as one of the crucial reason behind setting up of counselling centre at district level.

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