Teacher-student relationship in schools was never the same after the recent murder of a teacher in a Chennai school by her student. Teachers are obviously shocked by the predicament they have been pushed into: of fearing reprisal by students even if they are required to be reprimanded for genuine reasons.
Not surprisingly, in the two rallies that teacher organisations organised in the city to mourn the death of their colleague, their common and prominent demand was security for their life. Teachers feel that their hands have been tied by the ban on corporal punishment, and are confused at the thought of strictness ceasing to be a positive attribute any more.
While causing them anguish and anxiety, the incident has also increased their concern for the mental progress and well being of the future generation. If there is one point on which most teachers agree, it is the need for putting in place a permanent mechanism of counselling support for students.
According to Sami. Sathyamurthi, state general secretary of Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary School Headmaster's Association, appointment of qualified counsellors is the only way out since the Right to Education Act and norms of the State government do not permit teachers to be overtly strict with the students.
Alongside, moral science classes must be made compulsory, he said.
Students necessarily require moral support, emphasised K.G. Meenakshi, Correspondent, Sri Sivananda Balalaya. Counsellors must work with teachers who have to initially identify students in need of counselling. The present system, she felt, does not take cognisance of students' needs. “They need support; institutions ought to provide a lot of sense of values, confidence, and most importantly, the strength to face challenges, failures and criticisms. Teachers have to make students, particularly the sensitive ones, understand that failure is a part of life. The pressure exerted by parents at home is what drives them into taking extreme decisions, even to the extent of committing suicide. Students have to be pitied, as they are not given the right atmosphere to learn and overcome emotional stress.”
T.K.S. Senthil Kumar, Founder of Anbalayam, which has been working in the mental health area for over two decades, observed that parenting warrants a course correction. According to him, the emotions of children have not been understood well by parents or teachers. Children tend to become aggressive when they are insulted in the midst of peers. Usually children will never brook comparisons. And seldom do parents spend time with children to understand their difficulties and make their transition into adolescence a smooth process. Some harmless habits amongst teenagers such as spending more time in front of mirrors, and taking more care for appearances must not be curtailed.
Suppressed emotions throw up several indicators such as poor eating, lack of socialisation, hesitancy to go to school, and being problematic.
Inaccessibility of teachers is also a cause for the aggressive behaviour of children. “Routine interaction between teachers and parents would help in dealing with behavioural problems of children comprehensively.” It is indeed essential for every school to have a psychiatric social workers or psychologists to address the emotional problems of children. Not just students, even parents require counselling support, said Mr. Senthil Kumar.
