Encourage questions of students, says expert

With board exams round the corner, a state level seminar on exam anxiety was held in the city. The aim was to discuss the cause of such fears and how to prevent them. Speaking on the occasion Dr. Khushnuma Banaji said that many teachers infuse fear about a subject to force the children to take tuitions. Dr. Banaji is head of psychology department at St Xavier's College.

The seminar was organised by the Department of Psychology of Gujarat University.

Speaking further she said that many teachers feel insulted when students asks them question in the class. “They create an artificial fear about subjects like Maths and Science so that they get more students for their tuition class” said Dr, Banaji.

She urged teachers to allow student to ask question in the class and to motivate them through positive remarks.

“Depth of knowledge is more important than gold medals. Don't tell the student that something is difficult, instead tell them that they can do it easily” said Dr. Banaji, who has spent 20 years in teaching.

Dr Prashant Bhimani, renowned clinical psychologist said, “If you control anxiety, its good, but if anxiety controls you then you will be in trouble.

He asked parents to take writing speed tests of their children before exams.  “It will make them more confident during exam and reduce stress level” he said. He also stressed on the importance of entertainment and adequate sleep during exams. Dr Ashwin Jansari, Head of the Psychology Department, said parents and teachers should start efforts to reduce anxiety among students.