Counselling balm for students to beat entrance exam blues

Hyderabad: Uncertainty over entrance tests like NEET, JEE, EAMCET and lack of weekly assessment tests to check exam preparedness owing to sudden lockdown, are some of the issues that are leading to mental stress, concerns and worries in senior Intermediate students as well as their parents in the State.

SSC students are no exception either. Due to lockdown, their scheduled exams had abruptly stopped after appearing for three subjects. It is not clear that when will the pending SSC papers be conducted and this is leading to mental stress in some of the students.

Another concern that is bothering Intermediate students who stay in hostels is that majority of them returned to their respective homes with few text books assuming it would be a shorter lockdown, but, it has been extended and yet there is no clarity on when it would end.

With no text books available, they are not in a position to study at home even if they wish to. These are some of the problems being shared by students with NCERT appointed counsellors across the country.

To help school students across the country share their concerns and seek help to deal with mental health concerns arising during and after Covid-19, NCERT introduced 'Counselling Services for School Students' through its trained counsellors.

A region-wise list of counsellors is put up on the NCERT website for helping students who wish to seek guidance. Students can get in touch with counsellors on their given details, such as mobile number and email address or through WhatsApp. The services are being provided free of charge.

Chiluka Umarani from Govt Primary School, Lalaguda, who is also a recipient of a national award from MHRD, had also been chosen as one of the six counsellors from Telangana to help students overcome stress during this lockdown.

Sharing details, Umarani said that every teacher was given a two-hour time slot to attend to students' calls, but, they are receiving queries any time of the day for the last ten days and this can be expected as both students and their parents are having several doubts.

Calls are coming from students from various parts of the state including Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Warangal, etc as well as from few areas of AP including Nellore, Puttaparthi, etc.

She said that all NCERT appointed counsellors had psychology background and are trained counsellors to help and guide the students.

This is perhaps the first time that the Centre has taken an initiative like this, to address mental health related stress and concerns of the students.

Umarani appealed everyone to share this initiative with as many students, teachers, parents, other stakeholders of school education on phone, email, WhatsApp groups, Facebook, etc, so that the information reaches the child who needs help, support and guidance in difficult times.