School bullies

The police arresting the principal of a private school in Faridabad, Haryana, on charges of abetting the suicide of a teenaged Class X boy may well be only the first step in looking at a larger problem. The boy was dyslexic — a learning disorder — which led to his bullying by school mates. While the suicide is a grave tragedy, it also shows that the problem got overlooked by the parents and the school management. What is apparent is the absence of mechanisms to redress it. Did the school not have facilities for children with special needs? If so, was it pointed out to the parents of the boy? Also, how had the student continued his study in the earlier classes? Coping ability varies from individual to individual even in the campus crowd, attention to every student is important which means that schools must have ways to ensure the educational and emotional well-being of their students.

Educational institutions are meant to provide a level playing field for students who come from a diverse background and the focus is on learning and acquiring skills. There are activities and engagements that help create a lasting bond, irrespective of the class divide. This should not be allowed to get translated into discriminatory behaviour on the campus aided by negligence on the part of the school management. That the boy named the school principal and some other students in his ‘suicide note’ is a serious complaint that needs a thorough investigation.

There should be proper monitoring to look for vulnerabilities. Even in normal classrooms, it is always challenging to keep a check on the students and tougher in case of victims of bullying. Suicides and crimes in schools or related to educational institutions, like in Kalka, where a fight between students led to a clash between the families, are a serious matter and indicative of a social malaise. At a time when classrooms are returning to normal after the long gap caused by the pandemic, efforts should be made for building a healthy atmosphere and instilling the right values in young minds.

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