Exam fever is not just for students. It can derail parents’ lives too, come March and April. Children’s exams are so crucial for parents, that some take leave from work to help their wards in the preparations.
Manjunath, an employee with a private firm, is going on a week’s leave during April. Reason, his only son is appearing for SSLC exam beginning March 30. “I may not be able to coach him. But I will give him moral support,” he said.
Srinivas, a bank manager, says three of his subordinates including two women have sought leave to be with their children during exams.
Dhananjaya, a techie, has a different problem. Every year he used to spend at least a week with his son during exams. But this year, due to recession, he has not got leave.
Lakshmi Rajan, a housewife, says that she has asked the cable operator to disconnect till her daughter’s exams are over. “I will miss my favourite tele-serials. But for me, my daughter’s exam is more important,” she said, adding that TV addiction diverts children’s attention from preparations.
M adhava Joshi and Janaki Joshi, whose children are appearing for the ongoing CBSE exams, say that they had performed ‘Gana Homa,’ to propitiate Lord Ganapathi, as per the directions of their astrologer. “Every morning, before breakfast, we visit a Ganapathi temple. We will be doing so for 21 days. Our astrologer says that the same helps improve our children’s memory,” Janaki said. Nida Farheen of Jalahalli says she has bought a new moped so that she can drop her son at school for the exam and pick him up after it gets over to save time.
The father of a student who is appearing for second PUC exams in Bangalore, works in Kerala. To lend all support to his son during the exams, he has taken one month’s leave. He has hired four professors for Rs 40,000 each for one month.
