Poorva Chavan
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In India, school, class X and XII examinations and results are a very big deal. There's a lot of peer pressure and parental pressure on students to not just pass the exam but to get a higher rank. Not only is there stigma attached to failing or not getting a rank in exams but even for kids who perform well their parents treat them as trophy children and want to show off their achievements.
However, what we don't realise is the fact that this attitude which pushes children to either excel in school or college or propels them towards using any means fair or foul to pass the examination. Dr Pavan Sonar, Consultant Psychiatrist, Mumbai says competition, lack of confidence and poor value system are few of the many reasons why students copy or cheat in exams.
Now, many times students don't realise the repercussions of copying. Apart from the fact that you are not prepared for situations where you will have actually to apply whatever you studied in the course, things only get worse when you are caught copying.
The recent case of the two Bihar Class XII board toppers is a very good example of this. Both the toppers from the Science and Humanities stream couldn't answer simple questions about the subjects they aced. The science topper believed that and said it on camera that the most, reactive metal in the periodic table is aluminium. Whereas, the topper from the Humanities section said that Political Science is about cooking.
The video which was played on every news channel across the country garnered a lot of attention, and the Bihar Board has now ordered an investigation to find out how these students passed and topped the exams. If latest new reports are to be believed an FIR has been launched against both these toppers.
The procedure that follows after being caught in the exams is usually barring them from appearing from the rest of the exam and many times they are not allowed to attempt the exam again. However, that's not the worse part of being caught. The humiliation and the stigma attached to being caught in the act are more damaging to the student's self-esteem.
In such a case, the most important thing is to not reprimand them in such a way that they cannot recover from the humiliation. Dr Pavan Sonar tells you what you should when your child is caught cheating on an exam.
Find the reason--Discuss and find out the reason why they cheated. Every student has a different reason for cheating, and you need to find out why they did it. The most important thing to remember while talking to your children is to not to be angry while talking to them. Do not scold or threaten them or reprimand them in such a way that will be shared to reveal the real reason why they cheated.
Counsel them--Once you know the reason why your child cheated on the exam, explain to them why cheating is not a right thing. They are already facing the immediate consequences of cheating, tell them how it will affect them in the long run.
Tell them it's okay to fail--Get into a protective mode and assure them that failure is not the end of life. And failing a mere exam is definitely not it. Make sure they understand that you will love them and accept no matter what and their exam scores do not dictate how much you love them. When children feel that they are understood and accepted by their loved ones, they are more likely not to make same or similar mistakes again.
Seek professional help--While talking to them, if you realise that they are pressurised by some external factors and they believe in short cuts or have certain habits that are preventing them from studying properly, or they cannot stop cheating, it's best you take them to a counsellor.
Set an example--Children easily imitate their elders. If they see you get away with cheating, they might think that it is an easy way out. Make sure you don't do anything that makes them believe that cheating is okay.
Image source: Times Now/YouTube