Students appearing for the CBSE Class 10 and 12 board examinations have taken the uncertainty of their exams due to the COVID-19 pandemic in their stride. Due to online education, many of them are worried about their performance in the examination as the classes have remained disrupted for months causing a likely pushback in gaining practical knowledge and attending unit tests.
Sarita Rani, a teacher who has been teaching English for over three decades, said, “Students are always scared of the month of March as they gear up for Board exams which is an important milestone in their life. This, in general, puts a lot of pressure on young learners. This year, discontinued classes and disrupted learning has left many students vulnerable to anxiety pangs that results in panic disorders, phobias and depressions.” Ms Rani taught in Kendriya Vidyalaya NER, Bareilly, for over 20 years. She is now retired and runs her own coaching centre. “It has become important to shift focus on ways to sail through this challenging phase,” she added.
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"This year we saw a maximum number of exam-anxious students from Classes 10 and 12 preparing to write board exams," says Pratima Chakraborty, a teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya Ballygunge, Kolkata. She says considering the fact that stress and anxiety amongst students are at their peak, we try our best to adapt creative methodologies and clear their concepts in the best way possible. However, online education is always an obstruction in the learning process. Face to face interactions keep students calm and they are always at ease while clarifying their doubts.
“We keep telling parents that stress, to some extent, is good as it gives them the push to excel. But they should also make sure that it does not go beyond a point,” Ms Chakraborty added.
Students slip into a zone of nervousness, confusion and agitation during online classes, said Shikha Das, a teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya Ballygunge. “We were left with no choice but to organise online sessions for students when COVID-19 pandemic hit us. However, attending to a large group of students on Google Meet creates chaos. Students are unable to hold one to one interaction with us due to shortage of time, which leads to stress and depression,” she said.
He informed that many children complained of sleeplessness, palpitation, extreme anxiety, panic attack or blanking out in the last three months.