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A total of 24 stress-related cases have so far been recorded in both primary and secondary schools around the country from January to August this year.

This has been highlighted by the Permanent Secretary for Education, Selina Kuruleca while addressing the delegates of the Fiji Principal Association conference in Labasa today.

She says this is a slight decrease compared to the 114 cases recorded in primary and 75 cases in secondary schools for the same period last year.

The PS says this is due to the burden of expectations; students often feel immense pressure to perform well, both for internal and external examinations, which can lead to anxiety, panic, and sometimes even procrastination due to fear of failure.

“Anxiety is exhibited in both physical and emotional ways, that is, through sweating, racing thoughts, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and even nausea. Examination anxiety, in particular, affects students’ ability to recall information during exams, leading to underperformance even when the knowledge is there.”

Kuruleca says that understanding and addressing psychological aspects is crucial for educators and students to foster a more supportive and effective exam preparation environment.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Principal Association’s 130th annual conference is currently underway in Labasa with the theme “Coping with Fluidity in a Rapidly Evolving Education Sector,” which concludes tomorrow.