Disciplining the right way

Some years ago I had read a quote from Mahatma Gandhi in Hindi scribbled on the side of an old bus in neighboring Indian town Chamurchi (it is another subject of interest that this place used be in Bhutan several decades ago), which loosely translates into English as, 'Only the discipline will make a nation great". Thinking of Gandhi is unavoidable when we hear about angry teachers and more so the violent Head teachers. I had been a teacher whole life, of course not in a school,  but I tend to believe that the basics of teaching such as the philosophy of education, motivation and the mechanisms of inspiring the young minds is not very different for different age groups and for different educational levels. I hope I am not wrong in saying that more than the more matured adolescents, the younger minds deserve much better treatment than what the nation got to hear recently in a school in Drujegang (http://www.kuenselonline.com/alleged-corporal-punishment-victim-in-thimphu).  While I can understand the pressure this head teacher was in, if all that was  written was true, the arrogance and his very poor ability (rather complete inability) is evident in the language of his statement quoted in the newspaper. What a pity and a shame on all of us educators and so called education administrators. If not anything else,  a sense of remorse on the part of this headteacher was expected by the readers, on the contrary he exhibited a great deal of arrogance.

By any circumstance and in any situation an educator cannot harbour such terrible temper, give such irresponsible response to media and show complete lack of accountability to the noble job bestowed to him. In my opinion, disciplining and corporal punishment have no link to each other. A civilized society always deals with indiscipline in a civilized way. Most importantly the juveniles do not need to be and must never be physically abused to discipline. We do not deserve to be called educators and take oath of allegiance to serve and take care of the future citizens of the country, if we do not are morally right and incapable of handling such basic problems.

A strong message needs to go to all such ill-prepared/ ill-trained teachers and school administrators to enable them rethink about their profession and perhaps even change jobs if they do not have adequate patience, endurance, perseverance and compassion to deal with varied and unexpected situations in the schools and academic institutions where there are so many young and innocent children experimenting with their lives and wanting to grow to their full potentials.

I am not even sure if there are other suitable jobs for these category of impatient people!!