Pune: Schools in the city have stepped up efforts to ensure students prepare well and don’t get overwhelmed as the Maharashtra HSC examinations begin on Feb 10 and school-level exams across boards approach.The clear focus is to balance academic readiness with mental wellbeing through redesigned timetables and short revision sprints to counselling support and mindfulness sessions.The last few weeks before exams in several junior colleges and schools are no longer packed only with marathon lectures. Many institutions have introduced structured revision slots, time to clear doubts as also smaller and frequent assessments to help students track progress without fear.Prachi Gaikwad, psychology teacher at the Orbis School, Keshavnagar, said, “Board exams are important, but do not decide everything in life. Marks are not the only measure of intelligence or success. Skills, efforts and attitude matter equally. Students should remember that doing their best is enough.”She also said that board exams were challenging, but can be handled with the right balance of study, rest and emotional support. “Taking care of mental health during this time helps students stay calm, confident and focused. A healthy mind leads to a better performance and a brighter future,” added Gaikwad.Teachers said the focus has shifted from rote learning to clarity of concepts. Subject teachers have been holding early-morning power revision sessions at a Kothrud school. “Attention span of students is limited under stress. Short and focused sessions work better than long lectures,” said Rahul Deshpande, a physics teacher. “We also encourage peer learning, where well-prepared students help classmates. It builds confidence on both sides.“Schools are also attentive about emotional wellbeing and have partnered with counsellors to offer personal sessions. Class IX coordinator of Vidya Valley School Kavita Marwah said, “Read your textbook carefully, note key terms and formulae, use mind maps, take short breaks and study smart. Don’t panic, avoid last-minute cramming and keep your stationery ready. It will help stay calm and confident during exams.“Students said these changes have made a tangible difference. Aditi Patil, a Class XII science student of Hadapsar, said the mock tests and doubt-clearing sessions helped her feel more confident. “Earlier, exams felt scary because everything depended on one big test. Now, I know where I stand having already practised in smaller tests,” she said.Meanwhile, schools are trying to make exams less intimidating for younger students. Some have redesigned question papers in internal assessments to include more application-based questions and fewer memory-based ones. “When students understand concepts, they don’t panic as much. We also avoid using harsh language like ‘final’ or ‘do-or-die’ when talking about exams,” said Sneha Kulkarni, a middle-school teacher.Parental involvement is another focus area. Many schools have held orientation sessions to advise parents to create a supportive home environment during the exam period. “Calm homes, calm minds. We were told to focus on routines, proper sleep and healthy meals instead of constant reminders about marks,” said Vivek Shah, father of a Class X student.Education experts said Pune’s competitive academic environment often adds to pressure, especially with coaching classes and multiple exams running parallel. However, the growing emphasis on wellbeing indicated a gradual cultural shift.
