Is moral education missing in schools?

Srinagar, Aug 06: In a major concern, the moral education is not being stressed in schools, despite the repeated directive from the competent authorities and emphasis laid in National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 on inclusion of moral education in curriculum of the school children.

The inclusion of the moral education is becoming more apparent as students are getting away from the teachings of morality and social values. Given the lack of focus on this aspect of the education, the problems students face in schools are hardly viewed from a moral perspective.

"These issues of grave concern are often overlooked and in certain cases even encouraged in some schools. In some schools younger students are bullied by elder students and there is no check on such activities from the school authorities," said Muhammad Faisal, a parent from Srinagar. Faisal said this bullying has a severe impact on the victims' psychology, often leaving scars that last for a lifetime. "These children become lifelong victims of bullying and they even are not able to share this with anyone at home or at school," he said.

Amid the growing concern over lack of focus on moral education in schools, the parents have voiced their concern over the incidents of misconduct by the students and bullying reported from the schools. The issue came to light after an incident was reported from a top-notch school in Srinagar. The misconduct of students went unnoticed by the school authorities for a long period of time.

The school authorities however assured the parents that the incident reported from the school was being taken seriously and POCSO team of the institution will deal with the issue and thoroughly investigate the issue. "We will take strict action against those involved. Parents and students are requested to remain calm," read a detailed message circulated by the school.

Amid the unearthing of the incident in the school, the parents voiced concerns about safety of their kids while raising questions over the utilisation of the hefty fees charged by schools. "Despite the high costs, the money is not utilized by the school administration for installing CCTVs at critical spots, particularly outside washrooms. The necessary infrastructure for student safety should be in place in all schools," said Shafat Ahmad, another parent from Srinagar.

"There should be mandatory directions from the government to ensure such infrastructure is installed in every school," he said. The parents said that the issue was not only about morality or the degradation of social values but also the safety of students. "If any untoward incident happens within the premises or outside the campus, CCTVs can help in such cases. This infrastructure will serve a dual purpose," the parents said.

In wake of the incidents of misconduct by students and bullying, various parents have voiced concerns that a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) committee should be established in every school to handle such cases. "In the past, there was much focus on moral education, but in contemporary times, it has taken a back seat in schools despite strict directions from the government," another parent complained to Greater Kashmir.

The parents said no psychological counseling is available in schools for students who become victims of bullying or misconduct by students. "Without proper counseling, these students cannot recover from the shock. Many children feel distressed and traumatized and do not share these issues with anyone at home. They also do not open up to teachers about their problems, which exacerbates their suffering," the parent said.

Notably, the NEP-2020 aims to promote ethical values, human and constitutional values among youth and recognizes the crucial role of education in promoting values-based learning and inculcating a sense of social responsibility among young people. The policy recognizes that education should not only focus on academic excellence but also on developing the moral values of students.

As already reported by this newspaper, the School Education Department earlier stressed moral integrity and values among students. The Department in an order stated that the practice of focusing on moral education was not uniformly observed across schools in the J&K.

The SED had directed all the school heads to conduct morning assembly for 20 minutes. The teachers were asked to ensure that discussions on values like honesty, respect and responsibility should be part of the morning assembly.

In a separate order, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir earlier issued a circular to put a check on bullying of school children in schools. In the circular, the school heads were asked to ensure a congenial environment in schools leaving no scope for bullying of students.

"Everyone at school can work together to create a congenial environment where there is no scope for bullying," the circular reads.

The DSEK stated that bullying was a threat to the student's physical and emotional safety besides can impact their social and academic performance at school. "Bullying is associated with negative outcomes for those who are bullied, including substance use, suicide, and impacts on physical and mental health," the circular reads. All the schools were directed to adhere to the circular instructions strictly.

Principal Secretary SED Alok Kumar when contacted said that the department has already issued strict directions to all the schools to focus on moral education. "We will look into the matter," he told Greater Kashmir.