City schools take initiative to counsel parents

JAIPUR: Now it is time for parents to get into classrooms and attend counselling sessions to de-stress their kids in the schools of Jaipur. Most of the schools are already in process of launching teacher-parent counselling sessions, to think of ways to counter the academic pressure on the young minds that lead to suicides.
The action is being taken on the lines of initiative taken by CBSE, which started the first phase of counselling from Monday to help the students and parents to overcome anxiety and examination-related stress during class 10 and 12 board examinations, staring from March 3.
Principal of Delhi Public School, Jaipur, K B Kain said parents should trust teachers because they are the best to rate the academic performance and suggest students career options. "If the student wishes to get into one of the best campuses, he should be ready to work hard and cope with the stress," he said.
Sunita Sabbharwal, vice-principal of Neerja Modi School told TOI that in the present situation, parents' expectations are high due to which students suffer from stress. "The school has begun counselling sessions for parents, initially once a month so that stress-related issues can be discussed" she said. Citing an example, she said that one of her students could not perform up to the mark as he was forced to pursue biology by his parents despite being good in athletics.
Vice-principal of St Xavier's School, C K Punnoose said that communication between teachers and parents has become very important in the present situation, where students are facing academic stress and taking extreme steps.
Counselling offered under CBSE initiative would include telephonic counselling, question-answer columns in newspapers, interactive voice response system (IVRS) and online counselling through CBSE website. Around 52 principals, trained counsellors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools and psychologists are already operating helpline from 8 am up to midnight.