Some important points for schools and students to consider for Board Exams 2021

The academic year 2020- 2021 has been a Covi 19 year where the world went on a stand still. But as it is said, that time waits for none, and yes it kept moving for the students especially, the date of Board examination came closer with every passing day.
It’s been tough to manage and keep continuity of teaching and learning not just in normal day schools and residential schools but also in the Government aided remote schools. I do believe that with every crisis comes in an opportunity to innovate and discover possibilities, therefore came in the concept of remote online learning (Home Schooling).
This Year’s Board examination will be historic as the examinees will be taking the exams without attending physical classes thereby mastering the skills of online classes; they are ready to face the Board exams.
The year 2020 completely disrupted education and a child’s orientation, their inclination towards learning took a back seat and gaming came in forefront. Motivation to study worked only for a handful of children. The online classes though were a good option adopted by most of the Schools but the adoption rate dropped from 80% to 60%. And not all the students were benefitted from it. For the students who are already in the bracket of backward and remote location, were still deprived of schooling despite the efforts made by the Govt. to reach out to each child. The infrastructure needed for online classes was not available in abundance to these children.
Take care of a child’s mental health
A child’s mental health is a matter of concern post COVID as they were forced to stay indoors all through the 11 months and it did take a toll over their emotional quotient and children were reported with anxiety and depression. As per a survey conducted by the Indian Psychiatry Society there has been a 20% rise in the number of cases of mental illness in India during the lockdowns. This happened mainly due to the imbalance of study and play. The schools need to identify the underlying illness in children and address it with the help of parents and emotional counselors.
Teachers’ mental health needs to be kept in mind
A teachers’ life also turned upside down during the lockdowns and as a result it thwarted their performance both in the school as well as at home. In order to balance between online and offline they needed to relearn and some needed to learn the online deliveries. This created a huge gap and led them into higher anxiety to be the best. Educational institutions need to hold sessions on metal wellbeing of teachers as they are the torch bearers of the students.
Arrange for multiple revisions and provide enough study materials
Other than completing the syllabus it is important for the Schools to hold numerous revision sessions of different difficulty levels and provide them with enough resources to refer from.
If a School follows these few recommendation then they will surely bring the best in the students. But that’s not enough the students too need to follow a few code of conducts to prepare well for the upcoming exams.
Mobile de-addiction
In the digital age when mobiles and laptops are an integral part of learning I would recommend that students should forget that they ever had a smart phone as it hinders the concentration level and agitates the minds.
Make a routine
A routine is a sign of complete study, each hour of the day should be well planned and maintained as a routine to fetch better scores in the Board examination.
Revise, Revise and Revise
Revision is the mantra of success. The more you revise the more clarity you get on the topic. Solve as many sample papers as possible.
Outcome: Revision will help in understanding and memorizing a concept well
Meditation/Yoga
Meditation and yoga are the proven techniques to help in building concentration. Meditation is a tool to develop a synergy between the body, mind and soul. By practicing meditation every day the students will strengthen their minds and will be able to concentrate more.
Outcome: it will not only boost concentration but also help the students in the long run they will be able to cope stress better.
Listen to Classical Music
It is recommended to listen to Indian classical music while you are preparing for examination. Music relaxes the brain nerves and helps the mind to relax.
Outcome: It will help in relaxing the nerves and bring about and aura of tranquility and calmness all around.
Apart from all these points it is recommended that children refrain fast and junk food as it may lead to health concerns. The students should eat home cooked food and sleep well.
The pandemic has given challenges but it has also given strength to fight the odds out and reach to the skies. And students need to believe in themselves and work hard to come out with flying colors.