Editorial: Expand educational opportunities
The growing number of suicides among students preparing for admission into prestigious institutions is a matter of collective shame for the country
The exam pressure and its devastating impact on young minds is an issue that hardly gets the attention it deserves. The growing number of suicides among students and those preparing for admission into prestigious institutions is a matter of collective shame for the country. The entire ecosystem that puts a premium on success and shuts the doors on alternative career avenues is to be blamed for the sorry state of affairs. If one has to understand the gravity of the problem of student pressure in India, one needs to look at the numbers pertaining to the IIT-JEE, arguably one of the toughest entrance examinations in the world. Only 0.04% of the total candidates who take the test will actually end up getting admission. While the media highlights the success stories of only those who make it to these elite institutions, the struggles and miseries of thousands of aspirants remain untold and unaddressed. This year, nearly 11 lakh students vied for 16,000 seats in undergraduate courses across 23 IITs in the country. Unless the basket of opportunities is expanded by establishing more such institutions, the problems of anxiety and pressure will continue to ruin the mental health of young students. This disturbing phenomenon is not just confined to engineering and medical education alone. The success rate for the union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam —meant for recruitment to civil services and other central government posts — hovers around 0.5%.
The shortage of quality higher education seats means parents continue to feel pressured to put their children into the coaching grind mill, even when they can see the toll this takes on the school years. A mismatch between rising aspirations and shrinking opportunities has created enormous stress — a pressure cooker kind of situation, for the youth. This must be treated as a public health crisis that requires urgent attention. It is also incumbent on the parents to candidly discuss the career choices and aptitude of their children and not push them into difficult corners. Apart from providing good education, they should also prepare them to meet the challenges of life including setbacks in professional and personal spheres. Typically, the coaching centres in Rajasthan’s Kota, the largest educational hub, have a 14 hours-a-day schedule with tests even on Sundays. Though there are guidelines to provide psychological help and other aids for students and also regulate private institutes, they are observed more in the breach than in the practice. The relentless pressure to ace a tough curriculum, shame and guilt of experiencing the very human need for a break, fierce competition, and the fear of failure — not to mention the loneliness of being far away from home — have taken a toll on many young lives. According to the official data, 22 students took their own lives last year. Since 2011, around 121 have committed suicide.
