Between January 2014 and April 2015, 145 young people died due to suicide in the UK, sixty-six of those who died were aged between 10 and 17, five of them were younger than 14.
Research has shown that education and exam stress is a large slice of the issues that lead to teen suicide. NSPCC reports that education falls top 10 of most frequent concerns among teenagers for the first time, suggesting a possible continuous rise in the years coming and the consequences that rise alongside it; a drop in students ‘happiness’ and an increase in diagnosis of ‘depression’ for children due to education.
As curriculums change and we move into a world of electronics, we humans are faced with more competition than ever both with computers who can take your job and each-other. Especially academically. With the difficulty to ‘get’ a ‘good job’ increasing pressure resting on exams increases in correlation. A google search with the two words ‘exam’ and ‘stress’ leads to thousands of websites such as ‘childline.com’ offering help on how to cope with exams and is proof of the large amount of pressure placed upon them. The Child-Line National Exam Stress Survey revealed that ‘96% of the 1300 felt anxious about exams and revision, 59% feeling pressure from their parents to do well and an additional 64% saying they have never received any support in dealing with exams.’
It is debatable that as of yet exams are inevitable and are the only form of testing we know. As a result, it its largely the responsibility of schools to help students cope with the pressure of exams, and regulate them in such a way where the students are not ‘cracking under the pressure’. However, we find that the rise in exam stress could be ‘nervousness on the part of teachers who face being judged by Ofsted inspectors if results dip below government targets’, according to the National Union of Teachers. With both teachers and students put under expectations and pressure of exams. Who are the students to turn to when it ‘all gets too much’?
Baleful statistics reveal that almost half of pupils say they have skipped meals, two thirds said they have had trouble sleeping and 14% said they have drank alcohol as a way of dealing with exam anxiety. With statistics of children in seek of help rising, why is it that the help provided is decreasing, there is not only an absence of help but the exams are also being made harder, with no coursework in English to fall back on and other subjects soon following. There is also no option to retake for students of 2017 forward creating more pressure on exams than ever before.
Ian Hulatt, professional lead for mental health, stated:’ it is heartbreaking that young people have not known where to go or struggled to get help.’ Not only this but ‘there needs to be a far greater focus on young people's mental health throughout the school system’
Marwa Benaichouche-Walthamstow academy
