Mumbai, Jan. 26 -- With this year's board exam season slated to commence on January 28, with practical and oral exams for science students, schools across the city are stepping up efforts to help examinees manage stress, deal with expectations and find a space where they are understood and cared for - both emotionally and academically. Students experience heightened pressure, fear and anxiety at this time, principals, teachers and counsellors told HT. Hence, close attention must be paid to their background while planning interventions, they said. In parts of the city dominated by slum settlements and first generation learners from poor families living in cramped tenements, schools are often the only quiet space where students can prepare for exams in peace, without any distraction. Accordingly, some schools in Dharavi and Sion allow students to remain on campus even after their preliminary exams are over. "For many first-generation learners living in crowded neighbourhoods, school is more than just a place of learning," said Jagdish Indalkar, principal, MP Butha Sion Sarvajanik School, Sion. "The classroom feels like their home. So we keep the classrooms open six hours a day till the last day of the final exam to ensure that they feel safe, guided and motivated." Teachers and mentors are present in school even after prelim exams to clarify students' doubts. They also make phone calls to students, especially during exams, to help them deal with the fear of failure. "When students know they are not alone, half the stress disappears," Indalkar noted. The Anjuman-I-Islam's Saif Tyabji Girls' High School and Junior College in Byculla West too remains accessible to students till the exams are over, even though no classes are held, said principal Amena Kazi. "While high expectations and fear of failure make all students anxious, students from poor backgrounds face additional challenges due to limited academic and emotional support at home," Kazi said. "For such students, the school becomes a safe space and a support system." The school holds regular counselling sessions, group discussions and mindfulness activities, which help students face exams with a positive mindset, she said. At Gandhi Bal Mandir in Kurla, emphasis is placed on guiding students on planning their studies and managing their sleep, food habits and daily routine during exams, said Jaywant Kulkarni, a counsellor at the school. "Parents are also counselled so they understand their role and do not unknowingly increase pressure on students at home," Kulkarni said. The school conducts regular practice exams and mock tests in various formats, so students slowly get used to the board exam pattern. "When students understand the exam process clearly, their fear of making mistakes reduces," said Kulkarni. "Confidence comes from familiarity." Some schools go beyond providing exam-time support by focussing on building emotional strength through various activities around the year. Gokuldham High School and Junior College in Goregaon, for instance, holds classroom counselling sessions throughout the year, where topics like resilience, time management, responsible use of the internet and developing healthy friendships are covered. The sessions help students manage stress better and become aware that in the event of any crisis, help is at hand, said principal Naresh B Rajani. At Seven Square Academy in Mira Road, new initiatives - such as sessions on stress and anger management, career guidance, memory skills, communication skills, self-assessment, and goal setting - were introduced this academic year to help students prepare for board exam preparation and improve their overall well-being. "Stress among students often arises from performance pressure and comparison, hence mental wellness must be prioritised," said Atreyee Ray, creative head of Seven Eleven Education Society, which runs several Seven Square Academy schools across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The new measures were showing encouraging results, such as marked improvement in students' performance in the second pre-board examinations, Ray said. Alongside efforts by schools, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has launched a YouTube channel to address issues faced by students appearing for board exams, said Trigun Kulkarni, chairman of the board....