A teenager in Chennai has just murdered his teacher. Sincere sympathies for those who loved the teacher, and that would include her other students. A different sort of sympathy for the murderer. That said, there is much else that needs voicing. .

India has the world’s highest student suicide rate. When are schools going to learn that the way we are handling students and the whole education thing is utterly insane? We all weep over what is happening, but the thing rolls on. This isn’t just crazy, it’s criminal.

SERVE is in a particularly strong position to lead the change. In 2005 we were sponsored by the National Human Rights Commission no less, in a National Debate on the motion, The education system does not protect the rights of the student. They themselves proposed that motion. One of their quartet actually presided at the debate. Media folk swarmed, interviewed him – and not a word appeared next day. SERVE – naturally – defended the motion. Not a single one of the opposition arrived to defend their wretched system. It was a non-debate. Look at the government’s own rising graphs on this issue. Is this not criminal?

The murdered teacher , Ms Uma Maheshwari , aged 39

Kapil Sibal stirred the pot, and all we’ve heard from our local high priests is about difficulties in follow through. Not, “How can we further this?” only, “Don’t change – we’re all right as we are.” Look at us, for God’s sake – death on a rising scale every year in our schools, and now a student where murder is his only resort: are we not listening? SERVE has a viable answer, stated in a thousand lectures and courses, field tested for six years in Delhi, then squashed by a politician, then squashed by another in Kolkata, and summarized in our recent (2nd Edition) book Where the child is without fear*. Those politicians have moved on. Parents, teachers, Principals, for the love of children, please listen. And speak – very loudly.

 

 

 

 

 

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