Please do not make a big deal of marks cards

After the recent suicide of 14-year-old Girish, a student of the Isaac Newton High School, who lay down on the railway tracks and let a train run over him, the Karnataka State Private schools’ Management Federation issued guidelines to member schools, after first calling a meeting of representatives of member schools.

D Shashi Kumar, organising secretary of the federation, spoke to DNA.

Would you tell us a little about the guidelines the federation has framed?
These were just some things we would like all member schools to follow. We would like all class teachers to be careful about whatever happens in the class. Children should not feel humiliated. If the teacher thinks there are matters that need to be brought to the notice of parents, they should first inform the principal and discuss the matter before seeking to meet parents. There is no point in taking complaints to parents and putting pressure on students unnecessarily. That, for instance, is one of the guidelines we have issued.

Are these guidelines binding on member schools?
We are dealing with private schools, and we do not have the power to make anything mandatory for our members. The guidelines are suggestions that we have agreed upon in the meeting. If the member schools have problems in their functioning, they approach the federation. This is just to ease functioning. Under the Right to Education Act, school managements will be responsible for anything happens within the school premises. The managements should understand this. Across the state, we now have 700 schools as members.

What, in your opinion, causes young children to go into severe depression?
The answer, pretty much, is the enormous burden of expectation that parents place on the shoulders of very young children these days. Even children who have only just begun school face tremendous burdens. In a city like Bangalore, the number of families where both parents work is high. With both parents away from home for a good part of the day, children are often left without adult supervision for very long spells of time. Behavioural trouble that might otherwise have been noticed earlier perhaps goes unattended as the children do not interact so often with parents. Children are left emotionally vulnerable because of the raised expectations and the scant attention they receive.

Would you have suggestions to offer to parents?
Early childhood is an extremely important phase of the child’s life. Children should feel loved and wanted. Parents should treat children with sensitivity. Screaming too often will ruin the relationship, and damage the child’s self-esteem.  Each child is unique. And please don’t make such a big deal of marks cards.