Drop in panic calls to CBSE helpline

Updated on: Thursday, March 03, 2011

Here’s proof that the CBSE board’s decision to make the Class X board examination optional this year has drastically reduced stress levels around exam time. The number of calls on the CBSE board helpline has dropped drastically. A year ago, the board helpline received 14,000 calls between February 1 and 28, this year it has dropped to 6,000 in the same period.

“The data is definitely encouraging,’’ says Vineet Joshi, chairperson of the CBSE board. He says besides the drop in the number of calls to the helpline, 69 per cent of CBSE students who had the choice of opting out of the board exams, did so.

“Students are a lot happier during the exam season this year. Our system of continuous and comprehensive evaluation, where students are assessed all year round and not just on the basis of a three-hour exam, has definitely reduced stress levels. The exam is no longer a ‘do-or-die’ scenario,’’ says Joshi.

He also feels that with the assessment spread out across the year, students who don’t do too well in the board exam won’t feel it’s the end of the world.

Most calls on the helpline this year were over administrative matters, with only a small number suffering from examination stress. Of the 6,000 students who called on the helpline last month, only around 1,600 were stress-related. Contrast this with last year, where stress-related calls on the helpline were nearly five times higher. In February 2010, about 7,333 students called the helpline over mental health issues.

“The numbers show a very positive story. This is precisely the objective of making the board exams optional, and to a large extent it seems to have been met,’’ says Avnita Bir, principal of RN Podar School.

A drop in the number of panic-stricken phone calls on the CBSE helpline has translated into less stress at school. Many principals say the environment at school during exam time this year is a sea change from previous years.

“Only 18 of 169 students at our school are appearing for the board exam. The anxiety levels are a lot lower and children are in a better frame of mind,’’ said Cherian George, principal of the Kendriya Vidyalaya at IIT Powai.

Parents of those who have opted out of the board exam say their children are preparing for the Class X exam in a stress-free environment. Mitali Chatterjee, the mother of a Class X student at RN Podar School, says while studies are going on as usual there’s no tension at home.

At Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri, the atmosphere is a very relaxed one both for those students who have opted out of the board exam as well as those who will be giving their boards.

This has a lot to do with the fact that 60 per cent of the assessment for Class X has been done all throughout the year at school and the exam will be worth only 40 per cent of the total score for Class X.

The students who chose not to write the board exam will appear for the Class X exam at school, and will get their papers assessed by school teachers.

Papers for both the sets of students have been set by the CBSE board.

TAKE IT EASY

When you’re anxious, reach out to a close friend, relative, teacher or counsellor you trust
Avoid talking to people who make you feel worse about your predicament
Don’t talk to friends who make you feel anxious about your exams
Do not indulge in a postmortem of a paper once it’s over
While writing the paper, focus on what you know first. When you struggle to remember something, your mind can go blank
Sleep for eight hours before the paper
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Avoid junk food
If you’re in distress, seek professional help
Remember, exams are just one small milestone in life, not life itself

Drop in panic calls to CBSE helpline

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