‘Parents, teachers need to work as team’

Pavneet Singh Chadha

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6

“Parents and teachers need to form a partnership to address the contemporary challenges related to safety of students in schools and at home,” said Vivek Atray, an author and former civil servant, at a special seminar held here today. The event was organised by The Tribune Group of Newspapers in association with Chandigarh University.

Principals and teachers from over 150 schools across tricity participated in the seminar “Principals’ Meet on Rise in Students’ Safety Concerns”.

Stressing the importance of having an open dialogue with children from a tender age, Vivek Atray, said, “Students today are exposed to objectionable content on internet at an impressionable age and spend more time fiddling on their mobile phones and laptops, instead of talking to their parents,” he said.

“The consequence is that many children suffer from depression and often fall prey to a phenomenon like Blue Whale. The lack of physical activity among school children is a major concern,” he said. He added, “Technology should be adopted in a practical way. We should not become servants to technology.”

Dr RS Bawa, Vice-Chancellor, Chandigarh University, said, “The exposure, distractions, expectations and challenges are different for children today,” adding, “Banning access to television or internet will only pique curiosity.” “You cannot keep a child in cage,” he said, adding, “Regulating internet usage, barring access to certain sites and supervision is crucial.”

Dr Bawa said the issue of safety of children was pertinent mainly after a spate of incidents like the case of a student in Panchkula, who allegedly committed suicide after playing the Blue Whale challenge, and the murder of a student on the school premises in Gurugram.

He said, “Real time monitoring through CCTV cameras was crucial to secure the school environment from outsiders. We need to discuss the issues with stakeholders and take preventive measures.”

Dr Bawa said, “Pollution of mind is the foremost concern. Children are bombarded with so much content on the internet. When I was studying, radio was a distraction.”

Dr BK Waraich, psychiatrist, said, “Counsellors and teachers need to identify children who are in distress and organise awareness sessions for students to sensitise them about child abuse.

Director School Education Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “It was important for the parents and the school authorities to understand the needs of children. Earlier, in joint families, children were not isolated. But, now with nuclear family system and hectic work schedules, children often don’t get the requisite care.”

The school organises counselling sessions to apprise students about day-to-day problems. When the Blue Whale challenge emerged, it was discussed in detail with the students. Vandana Saxena, Tribune Model School, Sector 29

We have two counsellors who sensitise children to the issues of child safety. Electronic gadgets are not allowed in the school. Internet is restricted to laboratories under the supervision of a teacher. Vineeta Arora, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27

We have a counselling cell where all matters related to the safety of children are discussed proactively. We make sure that children are accompanied by school attendants on buses. Reema Dewan, Delhi Public School, Sector 40

It is essential to inculcate values in children so that they can make informed choices. Banning of Internet at school or home is not a solution. Children will go to cyber cafes. Gurnam Kaur Grewal, Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 36

The safety of students is a collective effort of parents and teachers. Children are encouraged to discuss the issues related to academics, peer pressure, stress and even personal problems. Anjali Marriya, CL DAV School, Panchkula

The school is in a slum area. Most of the parents are illiterate and do not attend weekly meetings. Teachers are counsellors due to a shortage of staff who have to manage over 3,000 students. Bharti Sharma, Govt Model High School, Dhanas

Most kids in the school are from the lower strata. Parents have no time for awareness sessions. They stay in colonies with a high crime rate. A major challenge is getting parents involved in the process. Neeta Sandhu, GMSSS-16