Form committee to help students: Madras High Court

Chennai: Pointing out that some immediate steps have to be taken to ensure the psychological welfare of young students and prevent any unfortunate incidents in future, the Madras high court has directed the state government to constitute a committee to broadly assess psychological issues young students face in schools today and after identifying the same, conduct counseling and orientation programme for all school teachers and students throughout the state.

Justice M.V. Muralidaran gave the directive while allowing a petition from G. Kanagaraj, a PG Assistant teacher in chemistry subject in a corporation school in the city.

The judge directed the school education secretary to constitute a committee headed by the Director of School Education, District Chief Educational Officers, renowned academicians and psychiatrics.

The judge said teachers should be advised and instructed how to effectively handle children without using any abusive techniques. The headmaster or head of a particular school should maintain periodic reports of counselling and orientation and appropriate remedial action should be taken to address students’ grievances. The government should take steps to ensure every school has a dedicated counselors appointed to help children in need of emotional support, the judge added.

The judge directed the school education secretary to file a report in respect of action taken by complying with the above directions on or before April 9, 2018.

Pointing out that the whole process of enquiry and imposition of punishment was improper and illegal, the judge set aside the punishment of stoppage of increments for three years imposed on the petitioner for allegedly using abusive words and beating class 12  students.

“We no more live in an archaic age where to condition or train a young child abusive techniques can be adopted. Let it be parents or teachers, they ought not to abuse or threaten or manhandle young children,” the judge added.

In the last few months, there have been shocking cases of suicides by young school children after being reprimanded by teachers. This court has verified details from news dailies and it has been brought to light that six young girls have committed suicide and died as their teachers have reprimanded them for not performing their duties properly.

This shows that young children’s minds were very sensitive and they resorted to taking their lives by themselves, the judge added.

Today, children have access to worldly things at a click of a mouse or a touch of a smart phone. They have started taking the scolding's of teachers personally. They react immediately. There has to be a solution found for this problem, the judge added and gave the above directives.