The much famed Indian Education system seems to have infected with some unknown disease causing virus as it is not infusing and instilling the future of India with what is most dear to it, the basic human and moral values. We have had great reverence and respect for intellect from time immemorial and our education system was based on the premise of teaching children to be good and effective human beings valuing relationships, morality and civility. But something seems to have gone wrong. There has been rapid degradation in the basic behavior of kids which can be seen in their general demeanor and their behaviour. There is an arrogance, a tendency of getting away with things, a know it all attitude, a general lack of respect and condescension. One, many or all of these attributes can be associated with most of the youngsters today.
In the name of preparing them for a tough world are we giving them the wrong set of values or a gloated sense of the self. Are we showing them the reality before making them believe that you are the best for the sake of making them confident. Do they have the fibre to work hard and then earn it or we are forcing them to take shortcuts?
I do understand that a present day youngster has to face immense pressures. I myself have and am facing them. Be it peer pressure of being the coolest and smartest or the pressure of fulfilling the expectations of your parents and loved ones or even the pressures of measuring upto your own sense of accomplishments. It is a very complex and difficult world and one has to manage himself with utmost composure and self restraint or it won't take long for things in his life to get ugly.
But I also strongly believe that though the pressures are there but we are fully capable and intelligent and reasonable enough to face them. But what if the whole concept of right and wrong in our system is flawed. Our yardstick itself is bent. I see around me lots of people who want to make it big. They are confident and self assured but lack the will to work hard in the right direction. They prefer to take the shortcuts even if it borders around being called 'wrong'.
But is it really their fault?? In today's world the schools are increasingly becoming tolerant to errant behaviour by children. I myself see it in my college and even a school for toddlers. They get away with things and are not punished. This lack of strictness creates a mental attitude in that one can get away with anything and hence the growing unruly behaviour of children. Moreover sycophancy has taken centre stage by being termed as being the lubricant for the smoothening of life. I see it pervading every facet of life. It is a cause of frustration to the real workers but what can be done. The world doesn't care for your work but rather who you are or who your relatives are and how can they help me. This is how and why many children are given 'special' treatment and they grow up with a wrong sense of the self. They have a bloated perception of the self and an equally unreal and minimized respect for the world.
The education system of the old was quite good and children need supervision and discipline. Obviously one does not have to be a Hitler but giving them advice and telling them wrong from the right is also our responsibility. They are children and do not know and in the name of independence should not be left to wander or else there are mazes of paths that go in the wrong direction and very few in the right. We have to guide them and show them the path, just show them and let them decide on their own.
If we become a little more realistic and responsible our next generation would not be a 'bad' one. It is very easy blaming it on the next generation that they have lost the way but we have to ponder about why they have lost the way. It might just be that no one has ever been there to show them the right path. We don't have to repeat our mistakes and have to realise our responsibilities also. We owe it to humanity to make them civilized, moral and ethical beings and if a little stick does the trick then so be it. After all the adage does go, 'Spare the stick, spoil the child'.
