Depression in Children

Badly devised games are causing great damage to the society, especially youngsters. Not just the games, we have a larger threat that is affecting the Children of today more severely, i.e., Corporal Punishment in Schools.

I came across a very disturbing video shared by a school student, about a teacher beating the students with heavy sticks – call them logs in a child’s parlance. I call the teacher a ruthless Bloody Bastard, I generally do not use such strong cuss words. When I spoke about this to my son, who is now in his final year in College, I was shocked to learn that he too had been beaten several times when he was in school. I got a jolt, because I chose his school for the only reputation that they were very student-friendly and were knowledge-oriented. A detailed discussion with my son revealed that it was prevalent and they were more or less got used to it. How many of us parents, know of such atrocities being imposed on our children. Now, I am sure all students were not taking it the same way. There could be more cause for depression than what is being reported to us.

Some 20 years ago, I have heard it from my brother-in-law, that a son of the correspondent of his school would take charge of these Corrective Sessions. Generally, the Physical Education Teachers (PT), who also act as the Bouncers for the School, are entrusted with this cruel work. Also, some iron-hearted from teachers from other discipline will take such tasks of their sadistic pleasure. Watching them closely, it could generally be a vent for their own individual anguish on the management or their perpetrators, that they add such inhuman tasks to their KRAs. Lest, be it to win some brownies from the Management and take some perks. Invariably, every such teacher/volunteer needs psychiatrist’s attention for validating their mental health. Needless to emphasise, the source, i.e., Correspondent or Principal, who subscribes to such inhuman methods, need much more serious Corrective Procedures.

Wikipedia, on Corporal punishment in schools, with reference to India states that : “Corporal punishment is still used in most of India. The Delhi High Court banned its use in Delhi schools in 2000. 17 out of 29 states claim to apply the ban, though enforcement is lax. A number of social and cultural groups, including Shankaracharya, are campaigning against corporal punishment in India. In many states, corporal punishment is still practised within most schools. Society for Prevention of Injuries & Corporal Punishment (SPIC) is actively running awareness campaigns to educate the teachers and students through conferences and scientific publications.”

I also understand from friends and relatives, that these are more prevalent in Private Schools, than in public schools. We, parents are to blame for such atrocious behaviour by the school teachers. Unfortunately, the current breed of parents is more inclined to take their children to Private Schools and insist on the ones that get “Results”. The term Results here has several interpretations. One being, do whatever you want to do with my child, I want him to score nothing less than 100%. Parents in the southern part of the country, especially Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, seem to have given out our children to the slaughter houses in a way. How indifferent we are to our children, when it comes to demanding “Results” from them. Innumerable tuitions, dance & music classes, chess or abacus classes, how many can we impose on them, all for Our shortcomings in life. We are the worst bully for the child, all 18 hours of the day. We fail to realise that Life is at its Best only with its Imperfections.

Child management, as I understand, is very difficult, but it is as much as Art and Science. If not for this, then why would we need Teachers’ Training. In their quest for minting money numerous Educational Institutions have cropped up without the “Intellectual” wherewithal. It’s another agony, that in Colleges, the passed-out Students are made as Lecturers, without the appropriate Qualifications. Unlike the corporate management which subscribes to Carrots and Sticks, recently added Bones, children are never to be handled with Sticks.

Besides, there are other important issues for the Child, such as stress, peer pressures, teacher’s capabilities, limitations in comprehension, personal safety, personal management, gender issues, sexual abuse, etc.

My faith in the governance is that all such Corporal Punishments must be viewed very seriously and all such institutions get de-recognised immediately. Inspectors, instead of performing a sarkari duty with reported material, get into the nitty-gritties of actual running of the educational institutions to address such important issues. All parents please take it seriously and inquire into the daily affairs at School. All educational institutions and stake-holders concerned, immediately take note of the seriousness and their impact in the child’s upbringing, right the wrongs right-away, before it is imposed on you.

Let’s put an end to this now.