It is examination time and students are under tremendous pressure to perform well at the final examination. At this time, the student-teacher relationship and the parent-student relationship should touch a new high to move things in a proper direction at this crucial hour. The need for a smooth student-teacher relationship and the working partnership of parent and teacher need a new look after a spate of attacks on a teacher by student and the wrath shown by student against parents are all part and parcel now-a-days. Stabbing incident by student against a teacher was bad precedence but in practical terms the agitated student had to show his anger in one form or the other and that came out by stabbing. So children need to be motivated and not to be sulked for any reason. Going hand in hand will help to maintain student-teacher relationship.
Of course schools are second home for children, where they should learn the way of life apart from education part. Freedom for students is needed but it should not cross the limits. With love, care, security we can win the hearts of the students. Children are averse to criticism. It is needless to handle the situation in a smooth way without hurting the concerned parties. Many parents go out of the way and give their children too much freedom and commit the mistake of raising their kids in a wrong way. Scolding of any type is not going to serve the purpose in any way. Dictator attitude needs to be avoided and parent should try to cajole and pacify children and treat them like delicate being. Love must be passed on to the children but at the same time impart knowledge also in an easy and efficient way. If we fail to do justice to the role of parent by giving undue importance to children and pester them too much praise, then the child soon turn a brat, the one who cannot tolerate a no to the demands and somehow get the things done. One should get imbibed to understand the needs of children and their basic requirements. Handling a problematic child is a difficult proposition and it tests the patience of parents. Children should not be pampered beyond a limit and they should be made to realise the harsh realities of life.
Whatever said and done students are under tremendous pressure these days. With the present syllabus taxing the students with heavy load of work and too much strain home work which includes project work where children are put to test. Adding salt to the wound, additional coaching classes and mid-term test make children work overtime and there is no time to rest. Such type of schedule takes heavy toll on children and we come across children breaking down during the academic year and some of them going to the extent of committing suicides as well.
Jayanthy Subramaniam
(This is the first part of the article and the remaining portion will continue tomorrow)
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
