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Parent's expectations and academic pressure: A major cause of stress among students
As students spend most of their time in classrooms, teachers can play a useful role in mitigating the stress affecting them.
Parent's expectations and academic pressure: A major cause of stress among students
By India Today Web Desk: The society that we live in has high regard for academic excellence. Those who fail to meet up to the expectations often face harsh criticism which creates self-doubts about their abilities and intelligence. With a cut-throat competitive world out there, Students are constantly pushed to the edge by their parents to build a bright future and succeed in life. However, the enormous pressure on the students not only hinders their growth and learning but leads to increased stress and anxiety.

The situation is further aggravated by the educational system of the country where instead of facilitating a child’s growth and development, the entire focus remains on performance in the exams. Growing expectations of parents coupled with academic pressure has led to increased stress levels in today’s students are leaving them vulnerable to severe depression and suicidal tendencies.


Parental pressure on students
The future of a child is the biggest concern to a parent. Since the educational institutes in our country are always on the lookout for the brightest and best students to maintain their reputation, parents feel compelled to raise the bar too high for their students to match up to the standards. Parents nowadays are too concerned about how the world would perceive their students which in turn results in parental pressure.

The idea of excellence and success is often generalised by parents based on how others are performing. Apart from academics, children are also bogged down by rising expectations in various areas where they have their own interests like sports, music, arts, etc. Hence, without giving care to the wholesome development of a student, parents keep on pushing the boundaries that ultimately leads to stress, disappointment, anxiety and suicides. In a study conducted on 190 students from grade 11 to 12 from 3 private schools in Kolkata and 3 government-aided schools, it was found out that almost two-thirds of the students experienced pressure from their parents to perform better academically.

Academic stress
The school education system in India is textbook oriented where the focus remains on systematic long hours of study every day and rote memorisation. The elaborate study routines leave little time for recreation and socialisation. On top of that, there is high competition against peers to perform better and outscore. From school-level to high school life to getting admission to tertiary institutions, students experience academic stress every step of their way. Undeniably, the constant academic stress takes a toll on the mental health of the students. In 2018, there were 1.3 lakh suicides in the country out of which eight percent were accounted for students.

What can be done to limit stress among students?
As students spend most of their time in classrooms, teachers can play a useful role in mitigating the stress affecting them. Here’s how:

•Teachers can educate their students about the importance of time management that can considerably reduce stress. They should allow flexible due dates to submit the assignments. Not only will this reduce stress but also keep them motivated to deliver their work
•Teachers should acknowledge the effort of every student instead of discouraging them
•Teachers should put in the effort to encourage laughter and humour in the classroom. At times, they can share incidences related to their own childhood with the students to strengthen the bond
•Lessons should aim to create a deeper level of understanding instead of burdening the students with figures and facts
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Similar to teachers, parents have a key role to play in reducing the stress among the students. Here’s how:

•Parents should instigate positive thinking and good lifestyle habits in students. A healthy lifestyle coupled with good eating and sleeping habits can considerably reduce stress
•Be it in academics, sports or any other area, parents should always embrace a child's imperfections and mistakes. They need to teach their children that failure is part of success
•If a student is experiencing fear or anxiety, parents should take the time to talk and address the concerns
•Parents should always make it a point to focus on the good aspects and positive attributes of the student

Final words
In this age where a decimal point can be a deciding factor in one’s life, there is a dire need to address the issues of parenting expectations and academic stress. We must work as a cohesive unit to conduct deeper analysis and wider studies to understand the obstacles and devise specific plans to reduce the burden on the youngsters.
- Article by Prakriti Poddar, Global Head for Mental Health at Round Glass, Managing Trustee Poddar Foundation