When it was cane and able in schools

The last time I remember being punished in school was Class IX. The vice-principal, who used to teach us biology, had asked us to memorise a table, which I had not done despite repeated prodding. So, I was made to stretch out my right palm as he rained down cane blows. Needless to say, the table was memorised the very next day.

There had been several earlier occasions of being punished by teachers. I had a mathematics teacher who used to come home to give me tuitions. Tall, thin and wiry, he was prone to fits of anger.

Once, as I failed to comprehend what he was explaining, he seethed, “When I will beat you, none can save you, none can save you, none can save you…not even God.” He once made me do sit-ups for not having done the homework. The tuition could not continue for long. My father himself believed in the dictum of “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” On days when our results would be out, he would sit with a rule in his hand, the palm being made to stretch out for scoring less in subjects in which he thought we should have done better.

Such punishments were routine and as far as I remember, the students of my time, were equally used to it and would come up with ways to dodge it. A friend of mine, on days when he expected the cane blows, would come with his palm soaked in oil. As the teacher brought down the cane, he would slant his palm, making the stick skid, taking off the effect of the blow.

There were teachers who categorised various sections on the basis of the ‘Varnashram’ system, and doled out erudition and punishment accordingly. The whole thing was accepted as a part of life.

One was reminded of all this after reading about the controversy surrounding the punishment allegedly given to a student in a city school. It is not my brief to go into the facts of the case.

Teachers and students are usually fond of each other, their relationship evolving over a period of time, tempered by the realisation that it is only their betterment which is at their heart. Not for nothing do students keep coming back to meet their teachers even after they have moved on in life. That basic bond still endures though punishment is out of bounds in schools, overruling what Tulsidas said, “Bhay binu preet na hoye.” Correction through ridicule is what any punishment or rebuke should aim at. Only then is the purpose achieved. Otherwise, the result could be the opposite.

Exceptions should not alter the beautiful relationship between a teacher and taught. While a student is required to be self-motivated and study, a teacher who helps him realise this is priceless. “A mediocre teacher tells, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates, but a great teacher inspires.” This age-old adage can serve as a guiding light when it comes to students judging their teachers.