When a three-year-old boy sings the kolaveri song, his parents are thrilled — proud as if he has achieved something great in his life. Make your children recite the Bhagavatgita , read the Bible and chant the Koran . Let us not enjoy films of violence with children. When a teacher is mocked by a group of students in a film or a serial, it becomes a comedy for society. Parents themselves feel agitated when a teacher corrects their wards. They too dishonour such teachers and join their children in abusing them. Gone are the days of matha, pitha, guru, deivam (mother, father, teacher, god)
A rotten tomato can be thrown away. Can a spoilt child be? A teacher, as mentor, tries to refine him. This process varies from teacher to teacher. Some are very friendly in their approach. Some believe they have the right to reprimand erring students. They inform the parents so that they can also monitor such students. This apparently shows that a deep concern for the child makes some teachers do so. Sometimes the concern may be due to pressure from the management, which aims at ‘zero failure.' Some teachers are chargesheeted for having failures! Society must always remember that teaching is the only profession which has to read various minds in a class and deal with different temperaments.
Stop blaming any school or a teacher for not imparting moral values. Most schools do give importance to moral values, catechism, counselling, yoga and meditation. Kendriya Vidyalayas all over India mould students with many value-based programmes — on peace education, integrity club and adolescent education with life skills. But films and the internet have an adverse impact on them. Parents should never think that it is the responsibility of the school alone in the holistic development of a student. It is always a team effort —teacher, parents and student.
“He who spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes,” says the Bible. At the same time, it tells us not to exasperate children. So a teacher or a parent has to be strict with a child but not hurt him morally! Let a good understanding and rapport always exist among teachers, students, and parents. Mrs. Uma Maheshwari is martyred in the history of teachers. Nevertheless the dedicated and determined teachers will continue to render their service to the student community without bothering about the brickbats, humiliation, threats, and even killing!
(The writer is on the faculty of KV1, AFS, Tambaram and her email ID is casildanimmi@gmail.com)
