Parents and society must nurture tolerance, provide safe spaces, and stop comparisons to protect students from breaking under pressure
Muntashir Kifayat Hussain
The mental trauma suffered by bright students in Kashmir following the recently declared J&K Board of School Education (BOSE) results for classes 10 and 12 is painfully visible. The recent tragic case of student suicide is a heartbreaking testimony to this reality. The melancholy is palpable and has sadly become an annual ordeal.
Nowadays, a parent is often as interested in knowing the marks of other students as those of their own child—not to encourage, but to compare and exhibit, thereby adding to their child’s anxiety. After toiling day and night and burning the midnight oil, a genius and hardworking student expects recognition from society. This expectation sets them apart from the majority who treat studies lightly. For these young minds, such recognition is perhaps the greatest appreciation and reward they can receive at this tender age. Sadly, we as a society have failed these brilliant students on multiple fronts.
The journey into the “negativity web” often begins at home and among relatives. Students are frequently discouraged by close ones who say, “Padhai se kya hota hai aaj?” (“What does studying achieve these days?”)—citing unemployment as a reason to divert their focus. A student in just Class 10 hears these negative comments daily and yet musters the courage to persevere. This undermining of our brightest minds starts within our own homes.
We forget that a person’s character and resilience are shaped in their earliest years. At this impressionable age, they are vulnerable to internalising negative narratives about futility and failure. After navigating this web of negativity throughout the year, the student enters the examination hall carrying these demoralising thoughts.
Inside the hall, a brilliant student sits with confidence, ready to give final shape to all they have learned. The paper includes around 20 marks in multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and true/false items. If these answers are leaked, whether by teachers or other students, a candidate needs only about six more marks to pass. The diligent student tries to concentrate, but in many cases, whispers suddenly arise from all corners: “Question 1… option C,” “Question 2… B,” “Question 9… true,” “Question 10… false,” and so on. This creates chaos in the student’s mind, causing confusion even when they know the correct answers. One wonders: in which direction are we pushing these gems of our society?
After leaving the examination hall, the hardworking student is left brooding over how those who mock studies manage to perform well without effort. This weakens their willpower and erodes their commitment to knowledge. They keep thinking that examinations should be crucial—that they should boost skill and confidence. But the distractions that dominate the process kill its very essence.
After the exams, another spell of mental trauma begins. Pressure for performance mounts from all sides. A month of anxiety follows—fueled by high expectations, social comparisons, and uncertainty about the future—often leading to sleep problems and headaches. Drives for high grades operate at every level: home, neighbourhood, village, block, and district. In this churning, the student is ground down. These young gems cling to the hope that once the results are out, everything will be alright.
When results are declared, parents begin inquiring about and counting the marks of other students—first at the neighbourhood level, then the village, block, and beyond. It seems no level of achievement brings satisfaction. The student, already suffering from mental trauma, is forced to endure this torturous process.
To dismantle this negativity web and cope with the situation, parents and society must actively nurture tolerance, patience, and, above all, trust in the Almighty. We must provide a quiet, distraction-free study space and maintain a calm, positive atmosphere at home. We should avoid nagging and excessive pressure and act as responsible citizens in society. Let children express their emotions freely. Parents must offer empathy and a safe space for conversation.
Only through conscious compassion, encouragement, and ethical integrity can we protect our students from this damaging cycle and allow their true potential to shine—not just in marks, but in character and well-being.
The writer is a teacher at the Government Boys High School, Narabal
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