Our responsibility to keep students stress-free

New Delhi: The alarming number of student suicides in coaching hub Kota is a sensitive issue and it is our collective responsibility to keep students stress free, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, adding that the issue of dummy schools cannot be ignored. In an interview to PTI, Pradhan said no lives should be lost and the Centre is taking initiatives to ensure that coaching is not required and school education is enough. Asked about record student suicides in Rajasthan’s Kota this year, Pradhan said, “it is a very sensitive issue. No lives should be lost..they are our kids. They do not even have maturity or knowledge about what is happening to them. It is our collective responsibility to keep students stress free.”

“There are enough positive models in the country, they need to be replicated.... through technology, through social outreach, through taking care and counselling. NCERT is brainstorming about it, education department is working too..state government is also coming up with various circulars and guidelines...but the society needs to work together on implementation front on this issue,” he said. This year has seen the highest number of student suicides in the country’s coaching hub -- 23 so far -- with two ending their lives within a gap of a few hours on August 27.

Last year, the number was 15. Over 2.5 lakh students move to Kota annually to prepare for engineering and medical entrance exams JEE and NEET. Several candidates enrol themselves in schools in their home state and move to Kota to attend coaching classes.

They only appear for board exams directly and do not attend fulltime schools. The issue of “dummy schools” has been flagged by several experts who believe not attending school hinders students’ personal growth and they often feel isolated and stressed. “The issue of dummy schools cannot be ignored. Although the number of such students is not very high in comparison to the total number of students...but time has come to have serious discussions and deliberations on the subject,” Pradhan said.