Now, parents turn to suffer jitters for ongoing Maharashtra Board SSC examinations

Parents in the city are facing bouts of anxiety and depression once their children enter the examination hall to appear for their Secondary School Certificate examinations conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Counsellors associated with the board have claimed that the exam fever has now gripped the minds of parents, who need more counselling than their children.

Madhukar Ahire a counsellor associated with the board said, " In the past two days there have been approximately more than 300 calls on the helpline numbers. If we see a general statistics the percentage of parents calling is more than compared to students. Queries ranging from whether to use a black pen or blue pen during examination to whether the student can be allotted a different classroom, are being asked by parents to the counsellors. Parents are also worried about whether their children will easily sail through the examinations."

Explaining their counselling procedure Ahire said, " Our job is to generate a sense of confidence in the minds of the parents as well as students. We try our level best to provide available facilities in case of an emergency.

Students who fall ill during examinations are being allotted separate classrooms once they submit their medical certificate to the supervisor concerned.

If students are facing a problem of travelling to the examination centre they have to inform the board authorities three to four days prior to the examination wherein special arrangements will be made for student in the nearest centre." Ahire stated that the board has maintained a register of all the numbers that have called the helpline numbers till now. There are round about three to four people in the counselling centre who keep on changing from time to time. This counselling team comprises a counsellor, a peon and a general clerk who resolve the problems of parents and students.

Noted psychiatrist Dr. Rajendra Barve highlighted a few points to stay cool during examination time. He said that, " Anxiety and fear of appearing for examinations is a general tendency observed amongst students during examinations.

But this year it has been observed that the percentage of parents calling on helpline numbers is more as compared to students.