The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Breeding contempt

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Friday, Dec 12, 2008
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Breeding contempt

It is true that schools should not be the starting point for communal politics and houses of intolerance and hatred – as pointed out in the Op-Ed article (Breeding contempt: a deliberate choice? Dec. 10). This is the reason for introduction of a uniform dress code for students, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and financial status.

A school should teach morals, values and imbibe in its wards good character. Allowing children to eat the food of their choice inside the school premises is not such an important issue and there is no need to mix it up with religious issues. If parents want to feed their children with different dishes, let them do so in homes or elsewhere. Let children eat simple but wholesome food at school.

N. Ramasubramanyan,

Chennai

It is true that Diwali and Christmas have been declared as holidays for non-Muslims. But then, is not Ramzan a holiday? If all holy days of all religions are to be declared as holidays, we may end up winding up businesses all through. It may be far-fetched to expect every school to announce a holiday for Bakrid.

To say that schools discriminate on the basis of family income, gender, caste, religion, language and even ‘eating habits’ is a sweeping generalisation.

Raghu Seshadri,

Chennai

The concern and sympathy shown by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in her article are well placed. There are schools where the singing of Vandemataram is taboo. There are schools which do not allow girl students to apply kumkum or wear bangles and flowers.

J.V.N.K. Subramanyam,

Hyderabad

It is true that exclusive policies in certain private educational institutions alienate some sections of society. At the same time, fairness demands that critics should avoid singling out the perpetrators and victims of exclusion. We should not be blind to the other dimensions of exclusion that exist in the education sector. For instance, some government policies promote discrimination in a subtle and disguised manner. In the name of social justice, governments have expanded the scope of caste-based reservations to ridiculous levels. Does that not virtually exclude the rights of meritorious and the economically backward students in seeking admissions to courses and institutions of their choice? Reverse discrimination is also a form of exclusionary practice. The sense of alienation and frustration caused by such policies is worse than the isolated instances of discrimination that exist in a handful of private schools.

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

The basic blunder we commit is one of ignoring the psychological wellbeing of children in schools and see what we reap now: fear of getting alienated in one’s own land and the subsequent militancy.

Our schools must be secular in its true sense — by not nurturing any religion. Religion must be personal. No religious marks/signs should be displayed anywhere on the school campus. If common practices such as food and dress are impartially valued, there will be no divisions or discrimination among school pupils.

P. Alwarappan,

Annur

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Breeding contempt