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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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Students’ politics losing steam
Teaching moral values to children
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Students’ politics losing steam Over emphasis on carrying forward political coercion is eroding student politics in Himachal Pradesh, which has seen the most aggressive student politics among the northern states. Numerous cases are slapped on student leaders during the polls to their central associations each year merely for their over-enthusiastic approaches.
These organisations, which are considered the nurseries of future leaders, have been caught in the quagmire of political compulsions. What ails them today is the lack of vision possessed by those at the helm. This has reduced them to mere organisations which are controlled and twisted according to the whims and fancies of the politicians. They seem to care two hoots for the productiveness of those heading these wings or even pay little heed to criminal cases registered against some of their representatives.
The recent case of Lucknow University where a rampaging mob of students went berserk over non-inclusion of students with criminal records and those having surpassed their age into the students central association polls is an eye opener. The most significant recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee including maximum age of 28 years and crime-free police record to enable a student contest elections, were violently opposed.
“The politicians should contribute towards their capacity building to enable them root out corruption and institutionalisation. They should be positively guided towards nation building. After all it is these nurseries which churn out future leaders. We need able leadership to compete with the developed nations in order to carry our nation forward,” opines Dr S.C. Attri, a former student leader.
While able leaders are the strength of any education system, student politics can spell doom if not channelled to follow the right direction. Students today are used as pawns to merely put up show of strength or shout slogans during political
agitations. The three main student bodies having their presence in the state are the National Students Union of India (NSUI), ABVP and the SFI which are respectively the student wings of the Congress, the BJP and the CPM. The stipulations of age as laid in the Lyngdoh Committee would disappoint many aspirants here too. The inclusion of non-students in such organisations has reduced their very objective.
While the NSUI is being headed by a non-student leader, Kewal Singh Pathania, who has far surpassed his age of remaining in the organisation his own office bearers have levelled allegations of his involvement in tempering with his age. At least a dozen office bearers from various parts of the state including Solan, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Mandi have criticised him for having included contractors, taxi drivers and bus operators in the organisation. While the state level body has swelled to as much as 68 it is supposed to be having a maximum of 18 to 22 members according to the constitution of the congress.
Being a non-student Pathania appears to be serving little purpose by holding this post meant for student leaders allege his colleagues. It is politics of convenience which has carried forward his leadership despite having little contribution add his colleagues. Ideally a student of less than 28 years of age should be given the bastion to lead the students. In this case his age is at least 10 years more opined Rohit Sharma and Sajid Ali, expelled student leaders from Solan. They were expelled as they had protested against the president.
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) which is associated with BJP, though officially the party constrains from being associated with it, has on the other hand shown some respect to the student ideology. It’s national level vice-president Nagesh Thakur is a lecture and the body comprise an educated cult of students. Employed in Himachal Pradesh University he says, “According to our constitution a teacher can head it but other body can comprise students having good academic record. Non-students are debarred from it.”
According to Thakur what ails the student politics is the lack of inspiration and right guidance given by the senior political leaders today. “The students are at a very impressionable stage and they adapt a path which is shown by the politicians. The youth are neither good nor bad by themselves. They are often led astray by the politicians as they are indecisive about the path to be
treaded.” Terming the student leaders as the watchdog of the education system he insists, “Our aim is to highlight the flaws, if any, in the system and then urge the authorities to take corrective measures. These can be highlighted through the peaceful means like talks and memorandums or through pressure tactics like agitations and peaceful
demonstrations.” The righteousness in student politics has produced able leaders like the forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur, MLAs Harbhajan Singh Bhajji and Sukhwinder Singh Sukku in the congress. Former BJP minister J.P. Nadda and MLA Satpal Satti are the others who have made a name. Rakesh Singha representing CPM was another product of student leadership.
The SFI is an organisation who despite lacking sources in the state has somewhat kept alive it’s basic objective of carrying forward student’s cause. It has been winning the university panel since the past several decades. The NSUI on the other hand has barely managed to retain much hold while the ABVP has held it’s bastion in some places despite BJP being in the opposition.
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Teaching moral values to children I questioned my seven year old niece about her favourite teacher, “Miss James, my moral science teacher,” she replied. This led me to think the importance of moral science in our schools. All societies prescribe to certain ways of behaviour and these are the society’s values. Man, as a social animal, is expected to follow these values. Lack of adherence to moral values among the youth is becoming a major area of concern for the parents and educators alike Shoplifting by a young boy or ‘borrowing’ a flashy sports car are just a few illustration where we crib that values seem to have vanished. Are today’s youth morally antipathetic? Is one to blame the primary social group, the family, the school or the weak social system?
The physical environment of the house has a direct impact on the moral disposition of a child. Young children inherit their values from their parents. It is difficult to be amiable when one’s family life is wrecked and one stop stealing from a toy shop when one has not enjoyed toys.
One’s moral nature is formed very early in life. The institution of education allows access of all children to school. Therefore both home and school are important factors in developing one’s moral character. Some schools have extra periods termed as moral science while others use the term value education to inculcate moral values into the young minds. Way back in school my teacher told stories from the Bible and Aesop’s Fables to teach us moral values.
Socialisation induces an individual to adhere to the rules of society and allows him to play the roles prescribed to him. Moral consciousness is analogous to what one has learnt. Schools not only teach children to become useful members of society, but also shape their moral character and educate them on the dictates of morality.
In order to mould a child’s moral nature and allow it to operate in a desired way, cooperation of the home and the school is needed. The Parent’s Teacher Association (PTA) is the most important channel and teachers have to don on the coat of parents and the school becomes the family. For young children, there can be direct moral teaching. The teacher becomes the mentor. Examples of honesty, perseverance, generosity, responsibility, loyalty are given in order to prepare the students with a particular moral ethos and also to sustain it.
As the child grows and enters his teens he adopts the common youth culture with its bizarre clothing and long hair. The moral science teacher has to take all this in her stride. She has to show, sensitivity towards the children in their age of ‘storm and stress.’ Value education depends a lot on the attitude of the teacher. Now the teacher does not have to resort to long boring speeches, rather open classroom discussions are the way.
Ranjit Singh Sandhu, a progressive gentleman farmer and an alumnus of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla reminiscences his founding years at this elite boarding school, where the remnants of Victorian moral values a still to be found. In the dining hall, the young students were not allowed to talk during meals and all those who did had to own up on their own. This inculcated the quality of accepting one’s mistakes and instilled the courage of conviction. When the home and school unite, the moral disposition of young scholars can easily be moulded and the moral personality can be made to reach its zenith.
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