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When teachers become deviant

The editorial “Spare the rod: Punish teachers who resort to violence” (April 1) aptly says, “There should be no place in schools for the teachers who lose control of themselves and resort to violence”. In fact, some persons are wrongly appointed as teachers in schools. With their psychological problems, they exhibit a deviant behaviour and unluckily the innocent students fall a victim to their heartlessness.

Such persons working in the guise of teachers need to be identified and treated psychologically and clinically. The head and the staff of the school fully know such teachers but for their indifferent approach they keep mum and display ignorance. In this way, they commit not only a sin but also a crime.

Education is a collective process. There are teachers who shamelessly exploit their students, especially girls. It is the moral duty of the higher authorities to get a regular feedback from all schools through an institutional mechanism. School heads, staff members, parents, important persons, the general public and the students can be good and reliable sources of information in this respect.

Students should be guided to expose such mentally sick teachers. Severe punishment should be accorded to the teachers who spoil the personality of their students. Corrective measures to prevent such incidents are imperative.

SUDESH KUMAR SHARMA, Kapurthala

II

Unfortunately, teachers often forget their B.Ed lesson that constant rebuke, chiding, insult, intimidation and physical punishment seriously erode the child’s confidence. Some teachers’ argument that the child forgets about the punishment in due course is illogical and unconvincing.

Clearly, teacher-training programmes have failed in evolving the desired orientation among the candidates. Why don’t these teachers realise that demoralisation grips the child’s subconscious, which later snowballs into complexes that have a deleterious effect on him. He either becomes an overly aggressive adult or a meek, subdued or submissive person, in short a maladjusted individual. The root cause of a person’s failure on most fronts is also this.

AKHILESH, Birampur (Hoshiarpur)

III

It is shocking that corporal punishment is still prevalent today. Students are beaten and caned mercilessly. Why do these teachers cause psychological damage on the tender minds? In some schools, cane is regarded as the right commander for children. Even the head on the very first day of his appointment uses a cane to control the class. What a shame!

Once a teacher, who was given a cane, broke it and threw it away, telling his colleagues that nothing is more dangerous for a teacher than the lack of preparedness. He is still regarded as the best and well-respected teacher. He is called ‘Sir with love’.

Sometimes a student who fails in one subject is caned once. If he fails in two subjects, he is caned twice. Sometimes one can see long queues of students waiting in the class for the punishment from the teachers. Let us adopt the new slogan, ‘Spare the cane and save the child’. Treat children psychologically and not by the cane.

R.L. VADHERA, Headmaster, Fazilka

IV

I agree that corporal punishment in schools keeps cropping up with distressing frequency. Disturbingly, some teachers beat the students in the name of teaching or maintaining discipline. Worse, those who receive such harsh thrashing belong to the junior classes. These students need psychological and compassionate treatment.

The teachers’ insensitive and brutal behaviour leaves a permanent scar on the students’ psyche and hinders their natural growth. They need tender dealings to understand their unripe minds. The malaise is not limited to a particular area or state. It is widespread in the nation.

Close on the heels of the editorial came the news, “Childhood desecrated” pointing out how a seven-year-old-student was kept in confinement and tortured by a teacher in Malerkotla. It is really amazing how a teacher can behave like this. The teachers who beat the students black and blue have no right to remain in this sacred profession.

Dr VINOD K. CHOPRA, Hamirpur

Kasauli gets a facelift This summer, when the birds living on the upper and lower mall roads of Kasauli arrive and visitors start rushing to this peaceful hill station, they will be pleasantly surprised to find a changed Tibetan market. The old bamboo-tarpaulin covered khokas have been converted into neat and numbered shops with tin roofs and shutters. The shops, painted in green and the cut-stone parapet raised opposite the road, aptly named as Pines Mall, add to the ambience. This most pleasing and attractive site proves that if the authorities concerned have the will for change with a positive approach, they can convert a dry and disorderly site into an aesthetic and attractive avenue. The credit for this change should necessarily go to the Kasauli Station Commander. However, tourists and visitors should help keep this environmentally pristine and ecologically fragile hill station neat and clean. RASHMI JOTSHI SHAROTRI, Kasauli

Positive policing

I read the report, “Rape bid in bus; driver absconding” (April 22). The alertness and the prompt action of the Police Control Room personnel need to be appreciated. They are the real life heroes who have saved a life and modesty of a woman. Living with the rape stigma is dying everyday inch by inch.

Equally appreciable is the role of two journalists of a vernacular daily whose motivation and support would have contributed to the efforts of the PCR personnel. The senior police officer deserves a pat for bringing the crime to the record without any bureaucratic red tape.

I also appreciate the bold reporting of The Tribune that I have been reading for the past 34 years. My best wishes to the paper and a pat to the positive policing.

Prof P.K. KESHAP, Ludhiana