Is Exam Pressure taking a toll over the Children Health ?

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National Union of Teachers' report - highlights on the increasing level of anxiety among the children of age group “10 to 12” as a result of study pressure and exams. The teachers have reported that they have observed “complete meltdown” of the kids during the exam time.

Taking a Toll on Health: 

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The school level anxieties mainly build up during the exam time , when the children are often observed in tears, mental and physical sickness, nausea and to make the situation worse the competative parents exagerrate the importance of the exams and build up more pressure on their kids. They literally force their children to believe that its the grades that determine their future.

Due to excessive study pressure , the kids often underperform in the exams which lead to decreased self-esteem and is also sometimes demotivated from higher studies.

Too much of Exam Pressure: 

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A teacher from a unnamed UK school had cited live examples of kids within age brackets of 14 to 16 years have taken hasty decisions due to poor performance in exams. A13-year old kid had almost starved himself to death whereas another child had been admitted to the psychiatric wards because of the extreme level of school pressure and failure to live upto the standards of his parents. All of them were diagnosed with “Acute level of Depression.”
A survey conducted by National Union of Teachers under Merryn Herchings, emeritus professor at London Metropolitan University reflects how the tests, exams, Ofsted inspections and other accountability measures are affecting schools and what are its adverse outcomes. The results of the survey was based on the responses of about 8,000 teachers, case studies of heads, children, and a review of research and other literature sources.

Hutchings said: “The problems are caused by increased pressure from tests/exams, children’s greater awareness at younger ages of their own ‘failure’, and the increased rigour and academic demands of the curriculum.”

There has been a significant increase of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder among the school going children due to high-stakes testing. That means the school environment is practically not suited to them as it demands all hours of classroom lectures with minimum or no practical. This disorder is mostly related to mental concentration.

Christine Blower, the NUT general secretary, said: “The findings about the experiences and concerns of children and young people are shocking and sometimes upsetting.”

“The study exposes the reduction in the quality of teacher-pupil interaction, the loss of flexibility and lack of time for teachers to respond to children as individuals, the growing pressure on children to do things before they are ready, and the focus on a narrower range of subjects.” he added.

The NUT organisation working in close with the UK government had been inspecting the school exams, learning procedures and the other academic regulation is now taking the reports of the survey seriously. A lot of such surveys conducted on the school environments and the child development have suggested that the school level pressure is the main reason of concern for the children health. Too much study burden, failure of the teachers to interact with the students on the personal level are causing extra hardships in the overall development of the children.

Lucie Russell, director of campaigns at charity Young Minds, said in response to Hutchings’ findings that many of those the charity worked with “said that they feel completely defined by their grades and that is very detrimental to their well being and self-esteem”. Ofsted had never reported about the health issues faced by the students , although ministers across health and education departments have become increasingly worried about the issue.
The Department for Education said: “No one should be stressed out by exams, which is why we have scrapped modules and January assessments so young people are only entered for tests when they are truly ready.

“We are also investing in mental health services helping schools provide counseling services and support for pupils with mental health needs. This is alongside almost £5m funding for projects dedicated to helping children and young people with mental health issues.”

The verdict: 

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In the age of been what they want to- the little kids are dragged forcefully into laborious hours of studies just for the stake of higher grades that would after all defined themselves. Is this the correct way to spend the childhood?

If exam pressure or worries about college or university have lead to 2 have thoughts of suicide. Get info&support http://t.co/pqvYlFVf

— PAPYRUS (@PAPYRUS_tweets) February 2, 2013

Share tour views on how you managed to overcome study and exam pressure.

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Does UK Universities Need To Offer Better Learning Experience To International Students?

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If you are planning to study a management programme from a leading B-school in the UK as an international student, then it is certainly a great idea as you will receive high quality education and will become eligible for lucrative career opportunities. At present, the United Kingdom is among the foremost destinations for most international students, which has almost holding around 12.6 per cent of the worldwide recruitment market. However, several higher education experts believe that the viability of such a market is becoming increasingly uncertain.

                              Drop In International Students 

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During the 2013-2014 period, enrollments for both non-EU and EU students have fallen significantly. Where as non-EU learners comprise 48 per cent of the UK postgraduate STEM courses, you can see a 50 per cent fall in the number of postgraduate students from India. Dr. Thushari Welikala , lecturer in higher education at King's College London, wrote in a recent post in The Guardian,

“The falling numbers have been attributed to a range of factors: increasing global competition, the strict migration policy of the UK and the emerging new regional markets such as China, Egypt, Japan and Malaysia. ” She added “But there is another issue that universities are often less keen to discuss: are international students satisfied with the quality of their university experience while studying in the UK? ”

Around 24 per cent of the complaints submitted to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator last year mostly came from international students. This must send some cautionary which should send some cautionary messages to the higher education sector. I believe the main issue here is that UK higher education treats the international student experience simply as a “catch-all phrase.” Most UK universities take steps to provide support to international learners, allowing them to interact with home learners and become critical thinkers. But this approach is simply not proving effective.

               Need For Improving The Learning Experience

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Most studies on international student experience concentrates on the differences in learning styles or the cultural differences among home and foreign learners. However, this divide between foreign and home students has resulted in some counterproductive descriptions and misleading expectations.

Welikala wrote “Universities need to change their perceptions about how students learn and why they are here. Students today – whether home or international – have access to multiple ways of learning. They make use of a range of learning sites both physical and virtual. The so-called “passive Asian students” are very smart users of modern technology and are well connected with the online world. They are already international.”

                                 A Better Study Option

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If you ask me, studying business online from a reputed UK business school is a much better decision than going for traditional college education from the UK. Why? Firstly, you will be able to save a lot of money and avoid student debt as you will not be required to excessively high fees. Online business courses offered by leading UK schools are highly affordable as they aim to expand the reach of education. Moreover, by pursuing online study UK you will get excellent flexibility and convenience. This will allow you study and work a full time job simultaneously. However, if you are concerned about the quality of education, then you will be glad to know that most leading B-schools and universities in the UK offer the same curriculum and content in the online courses as in their on campus programmes.

You will be able to acquire comprehensive knowledge of the core management concepts and develop essential skills that will empower you to accomplish your professional goals. The degree/diploma you will earn by studying in an online business management School UK will make you eligible for the best career opportunities in your desired field, not just in the UK, but across the globe.

If you want the best learning experience as an international student, then the smartest option for you will be to opt for online business education as it will offer you significant professional and personal benefits.

What do you think? Share your thoughts and opinions with me by commenting below.

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