In Nagaland, classrooms should be places of curiosity, imagination, and hope. For too many students, however, school has quietly become a source of fear, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. Instead of walking in with excitement, many students enter each day weighed down by worry. They fear fines for being late. They fear punishment for mistakes. They fear disappointing their teachers. They fear disappointing their parents. These fears are not small. They are heavy, lingering, and deeply human.
A recent national report by NCERT’s PARAKH project on adolescent well being shows that in Nagaland fifteen percent of students say they feel sad or unhappy often because of school pressure. Nineteen percent report high levels of stress related to their academic workload. Sixteen percent say they have avoided school at least once a year because of fear of punishment or humiliation. Almost thirty eight percent tell researchers that they have no trusted adult in school with whom they can share their worries. These figures are not simply data points. They represent young hearts under strain that few adults see or acknowledge.
Talk to students in towns and villages across Nagaland and the statistics gain faces, names, and stories. A sixteen year old from Kohima shared that long nights spent doing homework leave them afraid of the next school day.
Another student from Dimapur said that even being slightly late leads to fines or public reprimand. “Sometimes I wish I could disappear for a day,” they said. Such words are not dramatic exaggerations. They are honest reflections of how students feel inside when pressure replaces support.
Local surveys in Nagaland reveal that emotional stress among adolescents is widespread. Around half of adolescents report frequent feelings of stress and anxiety. Many feel lonely even when surrounded by classmates and friends. Seventy percent of students say they do not know where to seek mental health support, and only a small proportion feel comfortable talking about their worries with teachers or counselors.
These findings show not only the depth of emotional stress but also the lack of safe places for students to express what they are carrying inside without fear of judgment or punishment.
National data from the National Crime Records Bureau in 2023 showed that nearly thirteen thousand nine hundred students died by suicide across India, the highest number in a decade. Students accounted for more than eight percent of all suicides, and over the past ten years this number has risen significantly.
While suicide rates in Nagaland are reported to be lower than in some other states, experts caution that cultural stigma and under reporting may mask the true emotional distress many youths experience.
Research across the country shows how academic pressure and lack of emotional support harm students’ well being.
Anxiety, depression, lowered self esteem, sleep disturbances, and chronic stress are common among adolescents subjected to relentless academic demands without adequate care.
These effects shape how students see themselves, how they relate to others, and how they view their future.
When students internalize pressure and believe they must carry every struggle alone, it is not resilience they develop. It is emotional fatigue. Many begin to think that struggling means they are not good enough. Many learn to blame themselves for simply being young and imperfect.
The situation in Nagaland demands urgent change. Schools must become places that nurture hearts as much as minds. This requires trained mental health counselors in every school. Teachers must be trained not only in curriculum but also in emotional awareness and supportive communication. Punitive fines and public shaming must be replaced with encouragement and understanding. Safe spaces are needed where students can speak about their inner struggles without fear of judgment or punishment.
This is not my personal battle alone. I stand with an army of teachers and students who share a vision for a Nagaland where children can learn without anxiety, grow without shame, and speak without fear.
We may falter and we may struggle, but we will not stop standing for what is right. We will not stop speaking truth because every child’s well being matters. Parents, educators, administrators, and all community members must understand that education is not simply about grades. A child’s emotional health is equally important.
If fear and pressure continue to dominate the classroom experience, we risk not only losing confident young minds but also compassionate hearts. The future of Nagaland is shaped in these classrooms today.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every student leaves school with hope, not fear.
Students and parents are invited to share their experiences if they have witnessed unethical or harmful practices in schools. Your voices matter. Your stories can help build a safer and more compassionate future for every child in Nagaland.
References & Sources
NCERT PARAKH Report on Adolescents in Nagaland — state level data on student feelings, stress, and lack of trusted adults.
Nagaland Post coverage on adolescent well being — percentages of stress, loneliness, lack of support in students.
National Crime Records Bureau (2023) — student suicide statistics and trends over the past decade.
Pele George
Monday, March 16, 2026