Indiscipline in life causes fear
Students are the bubbling fountain of energy, joy and spirit; they are the strong foundation of any nation. They can remove illiteracy, they can kill superstitions, they can finish successfully great and monstrous work and can reconstruct a fallen and staggering nation. But all these miracles are only possible when they are restrained and disciplined. Any deviation from this rigid path of self-control and discipline is very dangerous. Unfortunately, students to-day are most indisciplined and this problem of indiscipline among students is a headache for all.
Well, we are first of all to define the word ‘discipline’ which means control over ourselves. Discipline does not mean control from outside or some restriction imposed by external agencies but it rises directly from the soul. We should so behave as not to displease others; so act, as not to harm others. Indiscipline means just the reverse and it manifests itself in various forms. Students exhibit it by means of strikes against the head of an institution, by a walk out from the examination-hall, by passing resolutions through their unions and sometimes by means of resorting to assault on worshippers of learning. These acts of indiscipline pollute the holy atmosphere of schools and colleges and they become the centre of quarrels and party politics rather then those of culture and learning.
But indiscipline is not a bush which grows without certain factors and elements. It has certain grave causes which help it in its growth and rise. The first and foremost cause of indiscipline is the irresponsible nature of guardians who either have no control over their wards or find no time to look after their interests and progress. They support unnecessarily and illogically their wards with the result that instead of reforming such candidates, they make pickpockets, drunkards and immoral fellow only due to the unreasonable favour of their guardians.
The next cause of indiscipline is the unnecessary interference in institutional affairs by persons of eminence. They will make recommendations for promotion and admission of un-worthy students. The candidates expelled from a particular college are admitted either in the same institution or in some local college because they manage to get recommendations from powerful people who do not care for the admission of such students. The murder of principals and the attacks on teachers are the result of the admission of such unworthy and notorious students who should be better called ‘goondas’ rather than worshippers of Saraswati.
Why to blame guardians and powerful persons only, teachers too, are responsible for creating indiscipline among students. They have forgotten the ideals of their ancestors who were thirsty after knowledge and who shaped their life in such a manner that it might become a model for their students. The present ‘gurus’ (with the exception of a few noble souls) will smoke with their students, will see cinema with the money of their pupils and will cut jokes with them. In days of examination, they will threaten students to engage them as their tutors otherwise they will fail them. This greedy and mean nature of teachers has thrown discipline to the four winds because they aim at earning money and not at maintaining law and order. They will not reprimand their students however indisciplined they may be because they are afraid of losing their tuitions. Not only that, they also seek the support of their favourite students to run down other teachers and sometimes even the head of the institution. This intriguing nature of teachers is very dangerous in modern India when she is in need of progress rather than retardation by the instigation of these dwarfish politicians called the teachers. We have seen teachers fighting against the principal or the manager on the strength of students and inspiring them to strike if they are victimised. This is a wrong method and creates indiscipline.
The next cause of-indiscipline is the tremendous increase in the number of students without subsequent increase in the number of teachers. It is beyond the power of a teacher to control a class consisting of eighty students. He cannot examine exercises nor can he sort out mischievous students. He is busy in lecturing while students are busy in slipping away. If there is any function in the institution, the same difficult problem is before teachers, they number thirty-six while students are eleven hundred. Under these circumstances, no individual report of student is possible nor can a teacher maintain close contact with his pupils to remove their grievances if any and to guide them on a proper line. The institutions should maintain a proportionate number of students and teachers and individual attention should be paid to the activities and movements of their students.
But every disease has its own remedy. This indiscipline, too, how-so-ever, gross and terrifying it may be, has its cure. The first step to redress this malady is encouraging association of teachers, guardians and government officers. We know it very well that all the modern weapons fail to control students ; they have no regard for any officer and some-times create ugly scenes. The best way to avert such scenes is to invite teachers in all public functions and give them an honourable place. when officers fail to pacify them, teachers can control them very easily and similarly, when teachers are not successful, guardians can over-rule their wards.
The next remedy for combating indiscipline is the need of perfect strictness on the part of eminent people in recommending the cases of bogus and notorious students. They should first consult the principals about their conduct and then should take any action in the matter. We have seen many students creating a problem for their head and other people of the locality because they are backed by some influential men. Similarly, the strictness on the part of Government officers in curbing down the indisciplined activities of students whosoever they may be, is very essential without which indiscipline cannot be discouraged. In cases of emergency, principals may be empowered to exercise magisterial powers to punish the delinquents.
The other step in fighting out indiscipline is a close relationship between students. That will give a probe into the heart and activities of youths. Most of the evils of students are due to the fact that no wise or experienced person guides them and so they act wildly and foolishly. If they are suggested the pros and cons of any thing, there is no reason why they should not behave in a disciplined way. They are young people full of strong likes and dislikes and always acting with a short-sighted vision. If their teachers, who are the best doctors in matters of permission and effect, remove their doubts and grievances, we will find students most disciplined.
The next remedy for curing the ills of indiscipline is an emphasis upon quality rather then quantity. There should be a selection before any student enters the educational career. Every Tom or Dick should not be allowed to join a school or a college. We see that many such students as have the least love for education are thrust upon teachers with the result that they take part in mischievous activities of the locality and thus lower down morale of the institution to which they belong. The double-shift system in educational institutions has harmed the cause of education in the field of discipline. It aims at the collection of fees rather then imparting the right type of education. Colleges and schools have basic factors these days: they work from morning till late at night. It has a strength of five thousand students. The hostel itself has on its own one thousand students. This geometrical process of increasing the number of students should be stopped if we are to produce trained and disciplined soldiers for safe-guarding the interests and honour of our Mother India.
Unless and until we check this growing indiscipline among students forthwith, we will only be weakening the roots of our nation. We will find disorder rather than order, rudeness rather than refinements, insecurity rather than safety in society, if this evil of indiscipline is not eradicated. Today, we see that students are neither healthy nor mentally rich. Hence, it is our duty — the duty of elders to ‘re-charge the drained-off battery of their mind and body by making them disciplined, strong, learned and law-abiding people.
