The suicide committed earlier this week by a first-year-student of Anna University, Chennai, purportedly due to difficulties in coping with studies, after gaining admission by virtue of 92 per cent score in Plus Two, has baffled parents.
How could a meritorious student have taken the drastic decision? Such a score by a rural student from a Tamil medium background is no small achievement. Daughter of a poor farmer, the student, whose higher education was funded by a bank loan, was old enough to understand the family situation.
Alas! Parents may be in for a shock to learn that the predicament faced by the girl is not unusual on the campuses of prestigious institutions. There are several thousands like her facing similar situations after comprehending the rude reality that the school system is not compatible with the scheme of things in higher education.
The larger focus in schools on scoring marks through rote learning pushes knowledge acquisition to the background, as blueprints are skipped. In engineering disciplines, where knowledge application matters the most, students falter because of inadequacy of their learning in the school, according to V. Rhymend Uthariaraj, secretary, Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions.
“Also, students are made to believe while at school that once they pass out with good marks, the going will be easy in higher education. In an environment of freedom in higher education system, students tend to get distracted due to peer pressure and lose concentration in the first semester. And scoring in second semester becomes tough. The first year being a transition period is indeed critical for students.”
According to Mr. Rhymend, there is a way out if students utilise the interregnum between Plus Two and engineering admission for going through the higher secondary books again in a relaxed pace to grasp the concepts.
S. Sundarrajan, Director, National Institute of Technology–Tiruchi, explains another dimension: several bright students who secure admission in prestigious institutions as top-rankers in their respective schools are unable to come to terms with fluctuations in performance in a peer group with others possessing similar or better capabilities. Students suffering a setback get easily disoriented. Permanent presence of professional counsellors in higher educational institutions is necessary to guide such students.
The system of counselling by teachers must be revived, M. Ponnavaikko, Vice Chancellor, SRM University, said. Students must know who to approach for wise counsel whenever they face problems on academic or even personal front what with western culture invading the campuses. For every group of students, there must be a teacher counsellor. In the first place, the stigma that only mental patients go to counsellors must be removed, said Dr. Ponnavaikko.
Keywords: school education, higher education, education system
It's very clear that the language barrier was the main reason for these suicides apart from the peer pressure. But my main question is very small countries like Finland,Denmark, Norway which has a fraction of our population is able to impart higher education in their mother tongue, why not we in Tamilnadu can do it.We have never considered it for the past 60 years. It's the right time we give importance to our mother tongue. All the govt. jobs should be reserved only for thjose people study in Tamil. If people are not available than only english medium students should be offered a place. In private sector except for BPO where we need toknow a foriegn language al lother jobs should be compulsorily filled by Tamil medium students. I want to know form the honourable politicians what the hindrance they have in implemeting these ruleas and laws.
The sad news of suicide by Ms Dhairyalakshmi of Anna ‘varsity reminds
me of the practice by Rev Fr Errhot of St Joseph college, Trichy in
the 50s. In those days in all the districts medium of instruction was
Tamil up to 11th form (present 12 std). When we were suddenly
transitioned to English medium, we found it difficult to follow in the
beginning. So Fr Erhart conducted evening English class for about two
months, which helped us to acquaint with the change in medium.. I
suggest similar practice in all professional and arts colleges for
Tamil medium students so that the tragedy as happened to
Dhairyalakshmi could be avoided.
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