3 teens upset with their exam scores kill themselves

Within a week, there were three incidents in the state where school students took their own lives after securing low marks in the senior secondary exams. Psychiatrists have underlined the importance of mental health awareness camps in schools, besides counselling of parents, teachers and students to curb the disturbing trend.

On May 10, a 17-year-old school student jumped off the eighth floor of a shopping mall on Harmu Road. Although the student was declared to have overall secured pass marks in the exams, she was distressed because of securing only 12 marks in mathematics.

On Wednesday, a 17-year-old student of commerce stream at Ranchi Women’s College jumped before a running train at Ketari Bagan railway crossing under Chutia police station limits. Parents of the student told police that she was depressed after securing only 31 in accountancy. The student had secured a total of 231 marks, and was declared to have overall passed the Jharkhand Academic Council exams.

The third incident occurred at Devchanak Village in Godda district under Meharma police station limits. Police said that the 18-year-old girl student of science stream at a local college hanged herself on Tuesday night. The student had failed to secure overall pass marks.

Dr Amool Ranjan Singh, professor of clinical psychology at Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS) said that ahead of announcements of results, the students along with their parents and teachers had to be counselled. He said mental health awareness camps — informing students about the coping skills in stressful situations — had to be organised in schools and colleges on a regular basis.

“Communication with children is important in this digital age. The responsibility of parents does not end with sending children to educational institutions. Teachers should foster only healthy competition, and press upon students that success and failure and two sides of the same coin,” he said.

Manohar Lal, Ranchi city coordinator for CBSE schools said that counselling sessions and mental health workshops were being conducted in schools. He requested students to communicate with teachers and family members if they felt stressed.

First Published: May 17, 2019 15:22 IST