As board exams approach, Indian students find themselves trapped in an annual cycle of relentless pressure, sleepless nights, and mounting anxiety. The weight of expectations—academic competition, societal validation, and parental aspirations—has turned exams into a high-stakes battleground where success is measured in marks, not in learning or personal growth.
A 2022 NCERT survey revealed that 80% of students in classes 9-12 experience exam-related anxiety. This statistic is alarming but hardly surprising. The signs are everywhere—students grappling with headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even panic attacks. Yet, the system continues to glorify perseverance over mental well-being, reducing students to mere performers in an unforgiving academic spectacle.
Educationists and psychiatrists rightly urge students to manage stress, but the burden cannot rest on their shoulders alone. The real issue lies in an educational culture that prioritizes rote learning and rank-based success over holistic development. In many Indian households, a student’s worth is dictated by their board exam scores, pushing them into an abyss of self-doubt and emotional turmoil. When failure is equated with disgrace, the consequences are dire—ranging from declining mental health to, in extreme cases, tragic loss of life.
Parents play a crucial role in alleviating this pressure. Emotional support should not come as an afterthought but as a constant assurance that a child’s identity is not confined to exam results. Schools, too, must foster an environment where students feel valued beyond their academic performance. Teachers need to shift their focus from merely completing syllabi to integrating stress-relief strategies and providing psychological support.
More importantly, India’s education system requires urgent reform. The excessive emphasis on board exams as the defining moment of a student’s future must change. Alternative evaluation methods—continuous assessment, skill-based learning, and vocational training—should be prioritized. Mental health education should be embedded in the curriculum, ensuring that students are equipped with coping mechanisms rather than merely academic formulas.
The conversation around exam stress must extend beyond last-minute coping strategies. It is time to dismantle the culture of fear surrounding board exams and build a system that nurtures intellectual curiosity without compromising mental well-being. Until then, students will remain prisoners of an outdated system, fighting battles that should never have existed in the first place.