Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘Students open up more now’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From clarifying examination related queries to personal anxieties, students are increasingly coming forward to share problems. According to counsellors of ‘helplines’ started by the Humanity Trust of India (HTI), a voluntary organisation, with the approval of the Department of General Education, students have become more confident and assertive while expressing grievances.

Even though the ‘helplines’ received the maximum number of calls during the recently-concluded SSLC examina- tion, especially on the eve of ‘difficult’ subjects such as physics and chemistry, the counsellors were of the view that the grading system has made ‘fear of marks’ a thing of the past. “We provide stude- nts with mental and emotional support. Gradually, they be gin to trust us,” said Nithyanand, project director, (HTI).

“Our idea is to start a counselling centre in every school in the State with the help of local bodies by next academic year,” said Mr. Nithyanand. The centres will be headed by a committee comprising members selected from the PTA, management and staff.

To familiarise students and teachers with the concept, HTI has launched ‘Kowmarasangamams,’ a counselling programme for students from class VIII to XII in over 100 government and aided schools in the State. The two-hour programme, held separately for boys and girls during class hours, enables students to share their concerns with a team of five qualified counsellors in private.

The get-together begins with a motivating session, during which students are told inspirational stories and anecdotes from the lives of eminent personalities. “The sessions have a magical effect on the students with most of them expressing their concerns without inhibition,” said Mr. Nithayanand.

Students are also advised on how to identify their problems by looking for symptoms such as lack of concentration in studies, uncontrollable aggression, fear of examinations, preference for solitude, lack of cleanliness and sudden fall in academic proficiency. “The equation betwe en students and teachers in schools has changed for the better,” said Mr.Nithyanand, adding that one reason could be the decision to do away with corporal punishment by most of the schools. “The new curriculum which focuses on a student-centric approach too has contributed to the positive change,” he said.

However, some common problems associated with teenagers continued to be on the rise, a major one being the ‘alarming’ spread of pornographic Compact Discs and magazines. Easy access to pornographic material on Internet complicated the issue.

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