HYDERABAD: Though the State government may have issued a circular directing all DEOs to make arrangements for students in schools and colleges to watch or hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussing ways to keep exam blues at bay, the programme is unlikely to have any impact on students in the rural areas of the state due to the language barrier.As a result, no special arrangements are being made for the live telecast of the speech in which the PM is likely to incorporate even questions that students have asked him through the mygov website. Though schools have not been intimated, most likely radios will be arranged for all governments schools. Attendance has also not been made compulsory.
“The problem in districts, unlike in Hyderabad where Hindi is widely spoken and understood, is that in almost all the schools the medium of instruction is Telugu. Students do not understand Hindi at all. So there is neither any excitement nor will the students benefit from the talk,” said Chava Ravi, general secretary of Telangana State United Teachers Front (TSUTF).
In city junior colleges, however, the excitement is palpable. Government junior colleges claim that the talk is relevant in view of the stress intermediate students undergo, particularly in the two Telugu states. “In addition to the board exams, intermediate II year students also undertake competitive exams like Eamcet, IITJEE, NEET, JIPMER, etc. Nearly 90 per cent of suicides are committed by inter students and those living in residential hostels,” said Madhusudhan Reddy, president of Government Junior Lecturers Association.
Since the year 2000, over 2,000 suicides have been reported in the two states. He added that unrealistic aspirations of parents and the propaganda of corporate junior colleges that all students who enrol will become doctors and engineers are the reasons for students taking the extreme step. “In this light, if the Prime Minister has decided to engage with the students and talk on how to handle the stress, I think it’s commendable,” Reddy said.
The hour-long interactive ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’ will be broadcasted live from 11 am on All India Radio Wave, All India radio FM, MHRD Youtube channels, Doordarshan, Facebook Live and MHRD Swayamprabha Channels. In line with the MHRD’s directions, the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) circular, has also issued circular to all affiliated schools regarding the event. They have also been asked to click pictures and record two-minute video clips of students attending the event and submit them to the board by February 17.