Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The incidents of students committing suicide after declaration of class 10, 12 board exam results are common. However, recommendations of committee constituted following directives of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in 2016 to address the problem have not been implemented in full.
The results of class 10, 12 examinations conducted by MP Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) were declared on Thursday. The pass percentage in class 12 examinations fell to 55%, lowest in last 58 years. Keeping in view the number of suicides committed by students after result, a Vidhan Sabha Committee was constituted in March 2016 led by the then minister Archana Chitnis with ministers of higher education and school education as members, to “find solutions to students committing suicides”. The committee had submitted its report in March 2017.
Psychologists, educationists, media persons, teachers, coaching class operators and other stakeholders made submissions before the committee. In its 176-page report, the panel had made a number of suggestions.
The recommendations of committee included compulsory counselling of students at every level along with appointment of male and female counsellors in every school. The committee had also recommended that teachers should not be assigned any work unrelated to teaching and that a teacher-guardian should be appointed for every 30-35 students.
It had also said that participation in extracurricular activities like music, dance, sports, craft, drawing etc should be made compulsory for all students and that yoga and meditation should be made a separate compulsory subject.
It had also said that students excelling in extracurricular activities should be awarded extra marks. The committee recommended that teachers should be given training in student psychology, all schools should have a complaint box and a law should be made for regulating coaching classes. The panel recommended that teachers should be appointed on permanent basis.
Six years later, most of these recommendations have either not been implemented or implemented partially. A higher secondary school principal said that some principals implemented certain suggestions but that was voluntary.
Rajya Shiksha Kendra spokesman Amitabh Anuragi said most recommendations were more or less implemented. He said that the education department launched schemes like Anugoonj and Ruk Jana Nahi to curb student suicides.
5,000 calls in 2 days
The MPBSE Helpline has received 5,000 calls from students since announcement of results on Thursday afternoon till date. According to Helpline director Hemant Sharma, 3000 calls were received on Thursday, mostly about results. On Friday, 2,000 callers asked what they can do if they failed in one or more subjects. “No student, however, complained of feeling depressed or suicidal,” he said.
