Kolkata woke up to an unsavory morning the day the newspapers flashed the news of the unnatural death of Rauvan Rawla, a 12 year old student of La Martiniere, a couple of days after he was caned by the principal of the school. Though corporal punishment has been banned reports of deaths due to such punishments in schools are often reported by the media. What is more shocking is that schools like La Martiniere which are considered to be the vanguard of educational institutes of Kolkata as well as India can indulge in such insalubrious methods. Further the statement by Principal Sunirmal Chakrobarty that he was unaware of the fact that corporal punishment was banned makes the incident all the more alarming. Incidents of corporal punishments in schools have become ubiquitous now; quite often does the media flash reports of deaths or permanent physical harm caused due to corporal punishment in schools. It’s a shame on our education system, and needs to be dealt seriously or parents will loose faith on teachers and educational institutes and that will prove disastrous in the long run.
Punishments are an integral part of maintaining discipline. Whether at home or in school, guardians or the school authority need to maintain discipline which calls for the application of punishment to the erring children. The purpose of punishment is to correct the child and show him the right path in order to make him a better human being. It is a corrective measure and should be used sensibly. Children will be children and it’s the duty of the elders to be patient with them while reprimanding their faults. A proper balance between admiration and admonition from the beginning helps in creating an ideal situation whereby the child gets to know his limit and behaves accordingly. Schools are supposed to be the places which forms and develops the character of a child. It’s very important for the governing authority to cogitate deeply before implementing the rules and regulations of the institutions. The major influence that any school imparts on its students is through the teachers. It is therefore of utmost importance to be selective about employing the teachers. There should be proper counseling and workshop for the teachers so that they can handle the students with patience and perseverance. One can argue that at times situation becomes so uncontrollable that severe punishments become the only option. It’s quite understandable that some children are too unruly and intrepid and gives the teachers a real tough time. And it becomes difficult to tackle them. But then there should be innovative methods that are corrective but harmless, under no situation should the disciplinary method pose a threat to the child’s health let alone his life. But often it is seen that punishment becomes a tool of purgation whereby the school authorities drain out their frustration thus resulting in dire incidents like that of Rauvan Rawla.
With the change of time the behavior of kids has also changed. They are more intelligent and outgoing now. Besides, the social perspective has also undergone a sea change. Today’s kid faces situations and problems that were not there in the past. They now face varied problems that range from stressed family life to single parents. It’s quite natural that these factors will exert some negative impact on the children. Incidents of outrageous activities by school children are often reported in the newspapers. These are not just stray incidents but reflect a disturbed youth. It’s important to delve deeper to the issue and find out the root cause of such unrest among our young generation. What Rauvan did (bursting stink crackers in class) is definitely something outrageous and unnerving and gives a picture of the kid’s nature. It’s definitely a tough job to handle the chutzpah of such students. But then these are the situations that put the qualities of a teacher to test. It’s the deft handling of these incidents that is what makes a good teacher, one that schools like La Martiniere boasts of. Besides, it’s important to find out what triggered Rauvan to do such a thing. It’s not normal for anyone to bring crackers in school. Anyone with a normal and healthy frame of mind would not have thought of doing anything of the sort. There must have been some unrest and lack of normalcy in his behavior that went unnoticed both by his parents and teachers. The other day only there was a report in the newspapers that a boy killed his father just because he refused to listen to his son and continued to talk on the boy’s mobile. Its time we start giving serious thoughts on the increasing unrest among the children. The increasing violence and seediness that’s developing among today’s kids, the impatience and petulant behavior, the don’t care attitude- shouldn’t be ignored or that will snowball into a graver problem and pose a threat to the society. What appear as a nominal mood swing can be signs of severe depressions. According to psychiatrists, children are more sensitive than adults and even the apparent innocuous incidents like that of being rebuked in front of others can leave an indelible mark on their psyche. Teenagers are all the more vulnerable and their impressionable minds get hurt quite easily. The changes that occur in their biological formation during this period makes then more sensitive and prone to mental injury. It’s very important for the schools and also for the parents to handle teenage kids with utmost care and sensitivity. According to psychiatrist, Dr. Shiladitya Roy, among the cases that comes to him, the most complicated ones are those of teenage kids. He says that at times even the psychiatrists are at a loss on how to deal with the complexity of the problems. This happens because most parents tend to ignore the changes of behavior in their children and seek help only when the situation goes out of control. There is a general ignorance in our country about the negative effect of punishment on children; this often results in severe mental trauma to the kids who take drastic steps to show their protests, says Dr. Roy. He further insists that while it’s important for the schools to be sensitive and patient it’s also important for the parents at home to keep a vigilant eye on their wards. Discipline too like charity begins at home. It’s the responsibility of the parents to instill the basic disciplinary methods in their kids from the very beginning. In today’s world of fast and stressed life with both parents working, it often so happens that the child is left on his/her own with no one to correct his behavior. Besides, the parents out of their guilt of not being able to give proper time to their kids indulge in mollycoddling them boundlessly. This creates a sense of arrogance in the children which gets reflected in their activities in schools and elsewhere. Children are god’s blessings and are to be loved and protected. But as it is said that too much of anything is bad too much of affection and love also prove to be harmful in the long run as it often spoils the child’s character.
Rauvan Rawla’s death should be an eye opener to both the schools and the parents so that we don’t loose any more Rauvans. The principal, Sunirman Chakrobarty, has iterated that the untimely death of Rauvan was a painful incident for him and the school. Besides while speaking to The Teleghraph, Chakrobarty said, “it may be difficult to manage boys without strong disciplinary measures but with it being banned we will look for other methods that are positive, innovative and effective. That is going to be the way forward.”
The parents send their children to school bestowing utmost trust and faith on the school authority and it’s the responsibility of the schools not to disappoint them. Children are like flowers their growth should be thrived and not threatened.
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