The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Call to keep stress at bay

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 08, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Call to keep stress at bay

Staff Reporter

Symposium on controlling suicidal tendency among students held

Judicious mix of study hours, play and entertainment stressed
Slip tests are being conducted to ensure close monitoring of students, say academicians

A student asks a question during the symposium in Vijayawada on Sunday.

VIJAYAWADA: Parents, students and teachers at a symposium on ‘students’ suicides’, gave a clarion call for removing stress in every form from the corridors of educational institutions and homes to enable and empower the youngsters to work in a free atmosphere to realise their potential in their chosen fields.

The symposium was organised by the Rotary Club of Vijayawada Mid-Town on Sunday as part of its New Generation Month activities.

While agreeing to disagree on many counts, the participants expressed their total disapproval of the stressful manner in which tender and growing minds were subjected to rigorous tests in the name of ranks, excellence and competitiveness.

They found fault with all those involved in the process, rather than just the educational system.

Addepalli Radha, an industrialist and a parent, favoured a judicious mix of study hours, play and entertainment to be enforced on the students without giving any scope for hard feelings for anybody.

Tricks of trade

Regina, a senior faculty member of the Maris Stella College, took strong objection to the conduct of slip tests and such examinations on a daily basis in some educational institutions, as these activities would cause a lot of stress to students as well as the teaching community.

K.R.K. Prasad, principal of VR Siddhartha Engineering College, pointed out that the vigorous tests and examinations were just “tricks of the trade” adopted by various institutions only to keep students attentive and also to ensure close monitoring from the parents’ side.

C.V. Ramanaiah, principal of VP Siddhartha Public School, spoke in defence of daily slip tests, saying these were not very tough and just aimed at testing whether students followed the lesson explained by the teacher in a particular class.

Psychiatrist R.K. Ayodhya moderated the symposium, which saw participants freely expressing their opinions on a variety of topics like the roles of teacher and parents in moulding a positive personality of students, identifying and removing stress and ensuring positive thinking at all times.

Noted physician Chadalawada Nageswara Rao, auditor Chivuturi Murali Krishna, industrialist Venugopal, students from Maris Stella College, VR Siddhartha Engineering College, KBN College, PB Siddhartha College of Arts and Science and other colleges participated in the discussion.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh