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ARE RULES IN SCHOOLS EXCESSIVE? The ghastly shooting incident that happened in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado has brought the nation’s focus back to the schools. The violent incidents that happen with frightening regularity mar the pristine quality of our school campuses and sully the unblemished reputation these schools have managed to build for themselves over the years. It is true that these incidents undermine the significance of enforcing stricter rules in our schools. However, are rules alone sufficient to prevent occurrence of such unfortunate incidents? If that were the case, the schools would have been rid of all violence, since most of the schools are already in a state of virtual prison, with all the security cameras, metal detectors and so on. The problem lies much deeper. In my opinion the schools merely scratch the surface of the problem and impose stricter and at times meaningless rules. Schools and the regulatory authorities need to probe deeper into the root cause of violence and take more ‘humane’ steps to attack the disease instead of the symptoms. School is meant to be a place where we go to learn and have fun at the same time. It is the time of our lives when innocence and unfettered freedom go hand in hand. Each minute that we spend in our school is an investment that is supposed to pay rich dividends in our adult lives and pave the way for a successful life and career. However, the senseless violence and stricter rules have managed to intertwine and stifle our creativity. I am not objecting to the imposition of stricter rules; they might have helped avoid more violence than what we have seen. At the same time, I tend to believe that rules alone are not a cure. Culture of violence is not bred inside the school walls; school merely serves as a place for some violent minds to vent their repressed anger. The devious notoriety that the media attaches to these incidents also help in spawning more criminal minds. It is the role played by schools and families and not the rule imposed by them that shapes a young mind. Kids are not born violent; it is the circumstances in which they are raised turn them into noble souls or mutate them into Satan. If we want to keep our schools sanitized of all unwanted activities, mere imposition of strict rules is not going to help. I agree that a controlled atmosphere in schools is required to stem the psychological rot from spreading to more minds. At the same time, I firmly believe that a more appropriate strategy must evolve outside the schools and more particularly in the kids’ homes. A mere placement of a metal detector outside the entrance to schools will not serve as a deterrent to a self-destructive mind. It only helps provoking minds that are more moderate into a rebellious bunch. In the current wired world, students have access to an amazingly wide array of information in the Internet. In fact, the Colorado killers had made extensive use of the Internet to obtain information on making explosives. No amount of school rules would have been able to prevent their minds from being polluted. Such unrestricted access to cyber space must be controlled at home. The democratic system in USA has failed to draw the line between independence and irresponsibility in young minds. A costly price is probably being paid for freedom of speech and expression. If I were to impose any rule, that would probably be introduction of censorship in cyber space. The faceless criminals prowling in cyber space vitiate young minds and destroy family values and other high ideals. Another area that breeds violence in the minds of kids is the mushroom like growth in electronic video games. Games with action figures touting guns and killing people transport the kids to a make-believe world where violence and bloodshed are a way of life. These games, in my mind, have zero entertainment value and have no place in a decent and civilized society. The trauma of the teenagers in Columbine high school, Colorado was vividly carried inside living rooms across the country by an overzealous TV and News media. Pictures of sobbing students and their parents brought tears and agony to all the viewers who watched helplessly. While the media may claim to be discharging their role of responsible news reporters, I wonder that at times their sensational reporting may in fact steer some unsuspecting young minds craving for media publicity into a path of violence. The media must exercise some restraint and show a higher sense of responsibility when reporting stories that are likely to have an impact on young minds. Another strange thing that I have observed is the prompt arrival of professional counselors at the scene of crime to help children handle the trauma. Where were they when the suspects-to-be really needed them? If only these counselors were proactive and identified erring students and brought them back to mainstream, many young minds would have been cleaned of evil and saved from becoming killers. I would like to conclude by summing up my opinion. Rules in schools, although more restrictive than they ought to be, are a required bitter medicine in the current context. However, rules are not the only solution to solve the problems facing the school kids. We must identify the cause of the disease and attack rather than the mere symptoms of it. Parents, teachers and every responsible adult must work together to provide a generally safe atmosphere for kids first outside the school. An atmosphere where it is not possible to have access to guns, an atmosphere where fun and freedom are not confused with violence and chaos, and an atmosphere where kids are allowed to remain kids. This will bring joy back to the school corridors, and silence the gunshots. Date posted: May 16, 1999. What do you think
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