Discerning How COVID-19 Impacted HSC Batch of 2020: A Nightmare?
The entire world has been predominantly ramified as COVID-19 stormed all our lives across innumerable schemes. Around 13 lakh Bangladeshi students from the HSC batch of 2020 are no exception to this uncalled fate and have been fighting against this profound challenge since March 2020.
The HSC (Higher Secondary School Certificate) exam was primarily scheduled to commence on 01 April 2020. Around the corner to that timeline, Bangladesh recorded her first COVID-19 positive patient on the eve of 08 March 2020, which put all pre-scheduled programs across the country in jeopardy, as public health safety measurements became the priority. This resulted in the first-ever nationwide lockdown from 23 March 2020. The Ministry of Education, Bangladesh, announced the postponement of the HSC exam shortly following the commencement of lockdown.
Enter: The genesis of suffering
The nature of the HSC postponement was very confusing in its characteristics. They read no specific timeline and implied that exams could be taken at any moment — leading to a loop of academic duress. This loop went on through April — June 2020, and students started to fear the probability of sudden university entrance examination tests. Since university admission starts in June during a regular year, it was speculated that universities would take entrance examinations immediately after whenever HSC occurs.
Balance: The tallying of tribulation
As students were left with HSC preparation on one shoulder and university admission preparation on another shoulder amid a terrible pandemic — they were now carrying the weight of the world alone. Given that students had no other scope as both the exams are of utmost importance, they were forced to study day-in and day-out to secure their future. In a world where loved ones are dying, financial stresses are getting closer, and the world is collapsing, tremendous academic pressure (blended with the uncertainty of exam dates) was the cherry on top for the students.
Finally, a verdict: mixed feelings?
After constant rescheduling of a definitive decision, finally on 07 October 2020, it was declared by the authority that the HSC examinees of 2020 would be given predicted grades based upon their previous public exams. This meant the HSC batch of 2020 became the first batch of students in the country’s history to be certified without a public exam.
This decision declared in January 2021 was met with mixed reactions from the students. Those who had studied very fondly to cut a great HSC score were heartbroken. Those who had unfortunate track records and were trying to make a change for themselves were found frustrated. Nevertheless, the majority agreed this was the best decision given the status quo, as saving lives amid the pandemic is the priority.
Exam rescheduling: A puzzle?
As students started to study for the admission examination, a few concerns stayed. When exactly will university admission exams take place? Public universities kept on rescheduling dates over and over again. Rescheduled dates hamper study plans, cause fatigue, and, most importantly, worsen the students’ situation. Although at the end of 2021, most public university entrance examinations have been completed, classes are yet to commence for the majority of these universities, and there is no information regarding the upcoming schedule.
Comprehension: The curve of exertion
Anyone who has gone through the local admission period knows what hardship a student has to endure. Incomprehensible competition, toxic expectations, and pressures from the family and society, a rigorous memorization-heavy syllabus are some inevitable factors contributing to this experience, to name a few. The students are going through all of this more than thrice the times the average of any other admission batch in Bangladesh’s history, in a situation worse than any. Whereas one instance of a loved one’s death alone would make anyone devastated, many students had to see many of these unfortunate instances.
Further, they could not go out because of lockdown, meaning that their physical health took a hit and resulted in lousy fatigue in most cases. They were losing out on a healthy coping mechanism limited by staying home, constant pressures to do well in the upcoming exams, and a feeling of no way out. These burdens created a profound impact on their mental health. Many contemporary research studies reported an increased level of depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress. Even several cases of suicidal attempts were reported. The HSC batch 2020 specifically never received adequate research attention, being one of the worst impacted cohorts of the current time, as most studies reported findings on the impact on university students. There is a crucial need to specifically explore their mental health difficulties, mental health service needs, and in-depth insights to provide the necessary psychosocial support. Gender-specific interventions should be considered as well. We all should be aware of the terrible number of reported cases of gender-based violence and many unwanted marriages of underaged girls from this academic cohort during this uncertain period.
Destiny: The way forward
We must acknowledge that the students are going through a never-ending nightmare. The least we can do is stay empathetic, non-judgmental, and compassionate to them. Understanding the flow of their sufferings across months speaks volumes of their excruciating torments. The students are more than some success stories in some academic exams. They are invaluable human beings surviving through a pandemic. The students need cooperation, personal and family support, and definitive decisions on the road ahead. We need to explore the situation by applying appropriate research methods and supporting them with effective psychosocial interventions. Parental education and involvement in supporting their distressed children, family counseling, and specific stress management strategies for these students can play critical roles in mitigating their sufferings. Any bullying, stigmatization, and discrimination should be strictly reported and addressed to protect the wellbeing of this vulnerable group of population.
About the author(s): Dr. M Tasdik Hasan is a global mental health researcher working as the Research Lead of Jeeon & Assistant Professor of Public Health, State University of Bangladesh. Ahmad Tousif Jami is an Event Coordinator at the Yunus Centre, and he passed HSC from the batch of 2020 of Dhaka College.
