Rising intolerance among youth alarms educationists

Educationists in the region have stressed on the need for a culture of communication among students, their parents and teachers. Education should empower and not harm, they say. Neither should children be allowed to take law into their hands, nor should they be subjected to corporal punishment or mental harassment, it has been stressed.

“Unfortunately, children are either completely ignored or too sheltered by their parents. So, managements at educational institutions have to spend extra time and energy to instill moral values and ethics among them,” said Surinder Pal Sofat, a senior functionary of a group of educational institutes.

Brij Bhushan Goyal, a member of the alumni association of Satish Chander Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana, said, “It is high time when we pause and ponder on how we can sensitise our children about their roles and responsibilities in society, both at home and educational institute.” He added that the overall personality of a child is the sum of the traits inherited by them from their parents and through the microenvironment of society on the whole.

Goyal said the level of intolerance among the youth was not a positive sign and there was a dire need of developing a culture of communication and understanding among parents, teachers and students to counter that.

“Education is meant to empower and not harm any of the stakeholders. While we agree that no child should be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment, at the same time they can’t be allowed to take the law into their hands,” said Goyal, referring to the recent murder of a school principal in Haryana by two students.

Krishana Sharda, former principal of a District Institute of Educational Training (DIET), said a holistic approach was needed to prevent indiscipline in educational institutes and women should be a valuable part of the movement to redress the issue.

“Counselling by mothers can be a valuable part of addressing indiscipline and deliquescence among the youth. But it should be a part of a broader strategy that includes teachers, school management and external experts,” said Sharda. A collaborative effort involving all stakeholders is the key to fostering a positive and disciplined learning environment, stressed the experts.

Ludhiana