Indian Students Are Overburdened! Not Just Study, Schoolchildren Spends More Time in Extra Classes & Co-curricular Activities: Cambridge Survey

Students are more stressed than ever! A common cause of concern is the constant pressure from parents to perform exceptionally well in the exams. Over time, in India, sad incidents have appeared in the headlines where students take their life. Yes, the reasons are myriad, but failure in exams, unemployment and depression are some of the reasons why our younger generations put their life at risk. A Cambridge study has revealed that students in India are overburdened and more focused on extra classes and co-curricular activities than their peers in other countries. What Is Internet? Most Pakistanis ‘Don’t Know’, Finds Survey. 

An education group Cambridge Assessment International Education (Cambridge International), a part of the Cambridge University, conducted a study where ten countries were surveyed. The study discovered that Indian students add more activities to their schedules. Almost two-thirds of the students take extra-curricular activities, whereas, 74 per cent say they play sports regularly in school. The survey further included 20,000 teachers and students around the world, along with the involvement of 4,400 teachers and 3,800 students across India. Mumbai Citizens Are Most Vacation Deprived, Leads Sad State of Indian Holiday Goers!

Highlights from the survey conducted by Cambridge Assessment International Education

1. India and China have the highest number of students taking extra classes on a regular day.

2. Forty per cent of children spent two-four hours on their homework every day, while 37 per percent spend the same time during the weekend too.

3. About 74 per cent of students take an extra class in Math, 64 per cent in Physics and 62 per cent in Chemistry.

4. Only 11 per cent of students do not take part in any extra-curricular activities.

5. Debating is the most popular extracurricular activity with 36 per cent, followed by the science club with 28 per cent, art with 25 per cent and book club with 22 per cent.

6. Seventy four per cent of students play sports regularly with badminton, football and cricket as top choices.

7. Indian parents have more interest in their child’s education. Over half of the participants attend school events, 41 per cent help with the parent-teacher association and 66 per cent say their parents ask about their school day. Japan Medical Schools Deliberately Pass More Men Than Women Says Survey. 

8. Medicine and Engineering are the popular career choices among Indian students. Apart from all the other participant countries, India has the highest number of students who said they would like to be scientists.

9. Out of 10, seven schools in India say they provide careers advice and counselling.

10. Despite smartboards becoming popular, Indian teachers use a blackboard in the classroom more than any other countries surveyed.

The above were a few highlights of the survey. The findings of the study have been presented in Global Education Census. The Regional Director of South Asia, Cambridge International, Ruchira Ghosh said as quoted by The Indian Express, “A globalised world means there are more opportunities for students today than in any other time in history. While this has clear benefits, it also means Indian students are investing in developing their knowledge and skills outside the classroom through extra-curricular activities and use supplementary learning resources. Indian teachers are also very dedicated to helping students perform to their best abilities and come top in the survey for their investment in time preparing students well for exams.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2018 11:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).