Sandwiched, schoolchildren exposed to fear, apprehension!

 Experts have yet again cautioned that the trend could prove disastrous for the health of the kids subjected to “atmosphere of fear and apprehension.”
Amid prevalent political uncertainty, victimized students and their parents have sought immediate intervention of Governor NN Vohra to end the crisis through mass promotion for classes other than where schoolchildren have to appear in Board examinations.

SANDWICHED HELPLESSLY
As officials remained reluctant to grant mass promotion to schoolchildren from Srinagar, the district worst hit by September-2014 floods, three months on, thousands of children are preparing for two classes. Reasons: coaching centers in violation of norms are conducting classes for the new session.
This sandwiching, as per the experts, has put the children to mental and other health problems. While initially such children complained of problem in sleeping, dry mouth and dizziness, their anxiety has worsened with new symptoms of “adjustment disorder”.  Simply put complaints of insomnia, palpitations, decreased appetite and mood changes have been on rise among schoolchildren in the summer capital.
Health experts who treated such cases opine that situation has worsened. While child psychiatrists believe that studying in two classes “natural growth through sequential learning is hampered thus impeding learning and hampering education”, psychiatrists fear a much darker future.
“I think they are living in atmosphere of apprehension and fear. Apprehension of not doing well in future and fear of being stuck in the past,” said Dr Arshid Hussain , a  prominent  Psychiatrist  and Assistant Professor with Government Medical College. He and other medicos admitted that they came across scores of children with such health issues.

TAKEN FOR RIDE
Since October 2014 Director Education Tariq Ali Mir remained reluctant to mass promotion appeals for the ongoing session, when tuition centers started classes for the new session. Many such admission advertisements came up in newspapers as well.
Stuck between the two, schoolchildren have been helplessly preparing on both the fronts. “How could I make my son wait for the new session to formally commence when tuition centers had already started new classes? This way my son would lag behind and so I had no options… But now it has affected his health,” complained Firdous Akhter, a parent.
The start of new batches in tuition centers had a cascading effect on entire schooling. A class 7th student who has to appear in final exams in March while preparing for his annuals, equally attends class 8th tuitions. Likewise a class 9th student is also preparing for his “more crucial matriculation exam.”   Students of lower classes are sailing in the same boat.
THE DEADLOCK
 In October, the Coordination Committee of Private Schools Association (CCPSA), a forum claiming to govern functioning of private schools, had announced mass promotion at-least till class 7th. But Director Education objected the initiative. Expressing his reluctance, Mir said no special relaxation could be given to children of flood-ravaged City where thousands lost their houses and household.

THE SOLUTION
 Observers have been saying that mass promotion to all classes except for 10th and 12th, conducted by JK State Board of School Education, is the only logical way out of the problem. Pleading their point they said as a part of the “continuous comprehensive evaluation”, the students have already cleared more than 75% of their syllabus by appearing in three tests, including their half yearly exams.
Given the magnitude of calamity which worst devastated Srinagar, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Rohit Kansal was expected to have intervened and sought mass promotion for City students.  The observers said “Divisional Commissioner was duty bound to come to the rescue of thousands of children by virtue of powers vested in him.”
But then since October Kansal and Mir never looked into the alarming mental health problems being faced by the Srinagar schoolchildren. The duo pleads that the then Cabinet has announced that exams be held in March 2015 and so there was to be no other option.

GOVERNOR HOPE
With democratic setup nowhere in sight in near future, students and their parents have banked on Governor NN Vohra.
“From Babus to Netas everyone is busy discussing formation of new government but since floods nobody thought about the undue trauma our children have been subjected to. Now Governor NN Vohra is our only hope,” said a delegation of parents.
But why  have the officials including Commissioner Secretary Education been silent over this issue?
(To be concluded)