Allow academic institutions to discipline students

Children committing suicide on being reprimanded for their wrongs is on the rise. Within the last two weeks we read the following headlines: At Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram “Student chided by parents ends life.” In Vellore, “Scolded for poor marks, four schoolgirls commit suicide.” “Hyderabad student commits suicide in Chennai University.” “Class 12 student hangs self” at Kovai. In the highly competitive academic atmosphere parents, teachers and students suffer from unhealthy competition arising out of comparison and the chase for the .01 mark to reach their goals.

The shift of standards to nurture children from strict parenting and schooling, where sparing the rod was to spoil the child, to only showering incentives to get things done by the children has been pushed to disproportionate proportions. I still remember my mother telling my teacher to thrash me hard if I did anything wrong.

All teachers waived a cane and blew a whistle to discipline students. Teachers were the unquestioned gurus who were revered. Educational institutions were proud of churning out complete citizens with moral and civic education. Academics was rigorous, but the thrust was not just obtaining marks; it was for overall development of the wards.

Today, families are limiting their progeny to only one or two, and with parents having plenty of disposable income and time to indulge them, children get everything they want. Children are not taught to accept no for an answer. They are more and more demanding and vulnerable to depression and other mental ailments when they do not get what they aspire.

Parents, relatives, neighbours and media have started indulging in a blame game of the institutions and teachers for the failure of their wards. When Anitha committed suicide, after failing to secure a medical seat, one saw posters glorifying her, with photoshopped photos of her as if she was a full-fledged doctor. A hue and cry to condemn the system of admission got unleashed, forgetting to analyse the reasons and find remedies to curb the menace of suicide due to failures.

After the Hyderabad student’s suicide, students set their campus on fire and Sathyabama University had to suspend all its academic activities. Widespread arson, with the setting of fire to the library in the university by the students has not been condemned, as much as condemning the staff for reprimanding the student who copied in the exams. We lose sight of the wrongs of the deceased, like justifying the drunk for his actions and merrily find fault with the university. Whatever its faults, the university has a duty to conduct the exams fairly. It cannot allow copying. Punishment for copying would definitely be expelling the erring student from the examination hall.

If the student commits suicide for it, cannot justify any violence on campus. The school principal and teacher have been suspended after the suicide of the four students in Vellore. The ‘wrong’ that they committed was insisting that the students should bring their parents to report their failures. Such backlash of arson in the university or suspension and criminal actions against teachers and academic staff for being strict in their duty will only erode their morale and is unjustified. This will lead to falling standards of education on the whole.

Misplaced sympathies and demand for instant justice with no concern for repercussions are the order of the day. It is high time that saner voices be heard to ensure that the youth are trained with a positive mind and strength to face defeats and failures. Teachers, staff and academic institutions should be allowed to discipline the students.