Written expressions:Write an expository article for your school magazine in which you analyse the causes and effects of examination stress on students. COPIED

COPIED FROM: Collected by Mr. Rouabhia Ridha

  The pressure on young people to succeed academically is now so great that an alarming number of students do not achieve the grades of which they are capable. University admissions personnel, private tutors, teachers and fellow students all contribute, in different ways to the creation of such stress. But a prime responsibility lies with parents.

Lon-term economic uncertainty makes an increasing number of parents concerned  for their offsprings' career prospects, and they are inclined to see high academic achievement as the only way forward. A survey was carried out in Britain with A level students which produced some rather alarming and depressing statistics. More than 75% of those surveyed reported that their parents became very anxious as the examinations approached and nearly 30% felt that the parents had passed on this anxiety to them.

 Almost half of those questioned were concerned that they would let their parents  down by achieving poor results and over 25% felt that their parents expected far better results than they felt capable of producing.

 Most students that there was most definitely some degree of pressure being put upon them by parents. Experts feel that this stress can be compared with that experienced by high powered businessmen, both during the examinations and for quite a considerable amount of time the months leading up to the examinations.

 Students reported that the stress  hey felt manifested itself in disrupted sleeping patterns and some reported that they were barely sleeping at all. They also felt that their appetite had been affected with the worst cases becoming unable to eat a proper meal. It would be unfair to suggest that parental pressure is solely to blame for such developments but there is a convincing amount of evidence that suggests that it makes a substantial contribution.

  If a student senses that his or her parents are worried about forthcoming examinations, it is almost certain that the same fear will be passed on to the candidate and make the prospect of poor performance all the more likely.  The more the parent worries, the more the student worries, which may fuel parental anxieties even further.  Regrettably, few schools offer any help in the management of examination stress.

  Fear of failure is possibly the greatest obstacle to examination success so parents should ensure that their own private fears are not passed on to their children.  They should appear relaxed, cheerful and confident about the outcome of the examination without putting undue pressure on them to achieve results they are not capable of.

  Regular and consistent support is important to all young people involved in competitive situations, and public examinations are no exception.  Parents should also familiarise themselves and be tolerant of the emotional and behavioural reactions to stress, such as fatigue, sudden mood swings or becoming withdrawn.