Wrong lessons

That a 16-year-old student murdered a class two school mate to delay an impending exam and a meeting between his parents and teachers, sounds too extraordinary to be believed. Sure, most of us dreaded exams and these meetings when in school. But a cold-blooded murder to avoid them?

Nope. The CBI theory in the now infamous Ryan International murder case in Gurugram might well eventually be proven wrong. But in the last one week a few instances have made me believe that pressure from parents, teachers and peer might well force a teenager to commit such a brutal act. A family friend shared her anxiety over her seven-year-old son’s studies. Though he had scored over 95 per cent marks in each of his subjects, the poor boy — instead of being congratulated — was ruthlessly told by his teachers to do better the next time. Another friend admitted that she uses kitchen knives to scare and pressurise her two daughters, studying in primary school, to sit down to study and complete their homework.

Yet another mother uses her husband’s belts to make her son go through his books. Growing up under such intense pressure and competition, it won’t be surprising that these children never begin to like the subjects. Without any time to play, or explore other interests, their minds are in constant pressure-cooker state. How long can these young minds hold on to such stress before breaking down? According to data from Government sources, every hour a student — including those in colleges — commits suicide in India. The country has the highest suicide rate in the world among the youth.

Sure, studies alone might not be the reason. But the constant nagging to perform and mountain of expectation does impact other aspects of a student’s life. It’s time that the Government and boards of CBSE and ICSE look deeper into the mental health of our children. Just adding extra-curricular activities in the curriculum is not enough. The curriculum itself should be re-examined and changed.

Senior Deputy Editor

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