Need for stress-free online education stressed

Hyderabad: In a webinar, in which counsellors from NCERT (National Council of Education Research and Training) and CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) took part, it is stated that online education and pedagogy be structured, keeping in mind the mental and physical well-being of students.

Around 1,500 students, 175 teachers and 7 panellists joined the national-level webinar organised by the Lokmarg Foundation, New Delhi.

Rajesh Vashisth, an NCERT Counsellor, brought them together on one platform through a panel discussion with state education board counsellors. Covid pandemic has brought mankind to the threshold of making adjustments, bringing changes and reformations in social, political, economic, religious and educational practices. This paradigm shift is inevitable, they felt.

"Keeping the student, teachers and parent issues in mind, we have conducted action research survey in eight states of India and found that not only students but also teachers are facing issues because of lockdown. After the survey we understand that there is a need to address their issues by counsellors and immediately planned this webinar," said Rajesh Vashist, NCERT Counsellors & webinar Coordinator. In the webinar, students posed questions to the counsellors directly to clear their inquiries regarding career, stress and other mental health issues.

Umarani, the only counsellor from city and with Directorate of Telangana, explained how critical thinking can change lifestyle in the lockdown, Bollywood actor Satish Sharma also joined the students to help students who were interested in taking up acting as their career. The findings included students miss their friends, get irritated, boredom and loneliness.