THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Jan 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised on Monday that students should compete with themselves rather than with others, and he recommended parents not to use their child’s report card as their own visiting card.
During a conversation with students at the seventh edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ the prime minister gave these statements in an effort to help young people who are getting ready for examinations feel less stressed.
He implored parents to refrain from “running commentary” by comparing their children’s performance to that of their peers or siblings, as this will have a negative impact on the child’s future.
“You must not compare one child with another as that can be detrimental to their future. Some parents treat their children’s report card as their visiting card, this is not good,” he stated.
Competition must be healthy
The prime minister stated that while challenges and competition can serve as sources of motivation in life, healthy competition is also necessary.
He added that one needs to develop the ability to withstand various forms of pressure. “One must become capable of bearing any kind of pressure. They should believe that pressure keeps on building and one has to prepare oneself (to tackle it),” he stated.
“There is a pressure that we have set for ourselves like we have to get up at 4 am in the morning. We have to study till 11 pm at night, solve this many answers, I think we should not stretch ourselves so much that our ability gets broken. We should do it in increments, slowly,” PM Modi stated.
Responding to various queries, covering topics from peer pressure to competition among peers, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of competition in life, stating that without it, life would lack motivation. He emphasized the need for healthy competition. “There must be competition, but only healthy competition,” PM Modi stated.
Parents should refrain from ‘running commentary’
The prime minister noted that parents put their kids under more stress by making them get up early for tests and by making comparisons between their classmates and them.
“This running commentary by parents, elder brothers and teachers drawing negative comparisons every now and then is detrimental to a student’s future. It does more harm than good. So, we must ensure that issues are addressed through a proper and heartfelt conversation with students rather than reducing their morale and confidence through unfriendly comparisons and talks,” PM Modi stated, advising parents to refrain from doing the same.
Positive teacher-student relation
Highlighting the significance of teachers in alleviating students’ stress, the Prime Minister emphasized the necessity of maintaining a positive relationship between teachers and students. “Therefore, there should always be a positive relationship between teachers and students. The job of a teacher is not just to do a job, but to enhance life, and to give strength to live, this is what brings change,” he stated.
