WHY GO CORPORAL?

By: Arshad Dijoo

It pertains to the recent disclosure of a video on social media sites of how a pupil is being manhandled by his tutor. And kudos to the fellow student who displayed ample skills of videographing the episode at his own peril. If caught in the act he would have faced even more serious consequences.

What is praiseworthy of the pupil who is  being beaten up is that he doesn’t revolt or protest a bit for being metted out this treatment in full view of the class. Even his spectacles are broken and the face mask teared down.

And no other student created any pandemonium and that itself vouches for their being very academic and workaholic lot. Otherwise it isn’t guaranteed of the youngsters of the present age to be so docile and at the receiving end when we always complain of alleged drug addicts around and rowdies and rash motorcycle riders at the coaching centres who put their and public life in danger by their unusual stunts.

When we ironically have a somewhat foul image developed of the new age youngesters this lot in the video definitely looks decent.

Therefore arguably the students amongst whom one is being beaten up in the video clearly represents the studious ones who are more interested to shine and to make their parents proud. This is clear from the video as how the pupil in submission receives the treatment without an utterance.

Now what was the folly committed by the pupil for being metted out such a harsh treatment by his own tutor and does it in any case attract such a corporal punishment and abuse in full view of the class?

What if the said pupil upon reaching home  may have hanged himself dead in his room for such a heartbreak and humiliation that he was put to.

The said teacher who has work experience of at least ten years in the filed told the media that the said pupil whom he “manhandled” wasn’t interested in his studies and is only wasting money of his parents. Now in that case has the teacher ever complained to his parents or to the management of the coaching Institute or anybody else ?

A big no !!

Even if this pupil wasn’t interested in his studies and his parents having paid seventy thousands bucks to the academy still it doesn’t warrant such a harsh behavior from the tutor in any case.

Now that the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Assad has taken cognisance and later called the management of the said Institute, President of the Coaching Institutes Mr. GN Var and the concerned parent who has in writting complained and protested again such a behavior of the tutor;  therefore action under relevant sections of the law will follow.

Also the said tutor has been already detained by the concerned police station.

Now it shouldn’t be taken as a routine law  and order matter rather this episode as an eye opener should be taken suo motto notice of by all the concerned agencies.

Moreso by punishing this particular teacher the purpose won’t be served fully and  therefore impetus must be laid to frame out a thread bare poilcy for all the coaching instuites and schools equally where acceptable norms as a charter should be emphasised in the beginning itself.

And in addition we can have an audit done of all the teachers in this “unorganized sector” of tuition centres thereby preventing any such episodes for the future.

Also a teacher-parent-management interface should be sought to cut down chances of such occurances.

But again the question arises if such an unbecoming behavior of a teacher is acceptable to the society?

Whatever may have been the pressing issues for which the teacher lost his cool his reaction is unacceptable by all norms.

And if he deals with “violence” in the class consequently his own pupil shall in frustation imbibe the same behavior from their “role model” and replicate the same with their siblings.

In present times such “conduct” would be unacceptable by all norms.

Gone are the days when the teachers were a friend philospher and a guide and they left lifelong indelible marks on the pschye of their taught.

Where have those educationists gone?

Teachers like MS Want, Sat Lal Razdan Master Jaggannath, Sarvepillai Radhakrishnan, Zakir Hussain, Agha Ashraf Ali et.al. are the characters to imbibe for the present day tutors so they too may be remembered by their pupils in particular and society in general for good reasons.

Teaching is an art and in the present day of smart classrooms and smart boards even the teacher needs to be “smart”.

You cannot be having “attitudinal problems”  or your conduct is “unfair” and unprecedented and unbecoming of a teacher.

In that case you are a misfit to the profession.