Mumbai schools ban girl-boy touch
Mumbai:They may be co-educational schools in metropolitan Mumbai, but are still insisting drawing on a line that divides the boys from the girls.
Two schools in Mumbai issued notices this week asking girls and boys studying there not to touch or hug members of the opposite sex.
What has this country come to !! Why bother having co-ed schools at all ?!?!
I think majority of the crimes (eve-teasing, rapes, etc) that happen are due to one reason only – Lack of proper boy-girl interaction and education and awareness about what makes them different from each other.
School authorities say the rule will “discipline” students, who are easily exposed to and influenced by violence and vulgarity on TV and other media.
I don’t really understand why we need to have all boys or all girls school. Would it help the child in anyway? I don’t think so. Will scrutinizing each and every move made by students help in anyway? Would there have been a need if these kids were given personal growth and sex seducation classes at the right age at school and at home ?
“You know, they are in school as of now. Un logo ko abhi se hum agar in batoon ki soth de de, toh woh kahan par jake end hoga that’s beyond our imagination, (They are in school now. If we start ignoring these things, you just can’t imagine where it will lead them to),” Richa Bhatia, whose children go to one of these schools, says.
Are schools and even the parents being prudish? Definitely YES !
7 comments
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June 14, 2007 at 8:22 pm
little indian
Prudish? The parents maybe.
I am not.
I do not have any such hang-ups.
But I agree with the schools’ decision.
For children also needs to learn
to respect each others’ “personal space”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_space
Not every young boy or girl
may like being touched, but under
peer pressure may have to put up with it.
I am sure these youngsters
can cope keeping their hands
off each other for a few hours
ie. during break times, I’m sure they don’t
indulge in showing affection in class, or do they?
They have life outside school hours,
and the rest of their lives to socialise.
But they also need to learn to respect one another.
Where else to learn a small lesson
in personal etiqutte than in one’s own school?
End of the day, its a lesson in personal disciple.
June 15, 2007 at 11:44 am
earthpal
I agree with you Flowerchild.
Trying to forbid things for youngsters creates ‘forbidden fruits’ and suppressing people’s natural social attitudes like this will probably be counterproductive.
What on earth is so risky about hugging people, whatever sex they are?
June 15, 2007 at 10:52 pm
flowerchild
I know earthpal. The extent to which people in this country can go to just goes beyond me ! Sheesh !
June 16, 2007 at 6:28 pm
little indian
(Lets see if it works this time.)
I just wanted to say:
Not all of them children
will like being touched or hugged.
But may have to join in under peer pressure.
This rule will protect, even if a small number, of such students.
Children also need to learn
to respect each other’s personal space.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_space
What better place to learn, than at school?
The rule applies
only for a couple of hours ie breaktimes,
I do not think they may feel compelled to hug
each other inside class rooms, or do they these days?
They can be touchy-feely outside school
and during the rest of their grown up lives.
But the opportunity to learn a bit of
personal discipline and to respect
each other’s choices will not come again.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
@ earthpal
The social norms
in India is changing too rapidly.
Not that many years ago,
there would be no hugging
in public, not just schools.
Now we learn (mimic) from cable TVs how
to behave like in the free societies of the west.
Not every child or their parents may feel at ease,
and such (draconian) rules are for their protection.
Give a few more years,
and these rules too will get swept away;
we are very good at following western cultures.
Me being no exception.
June 16, 2007 at 10:36 pm
earthpal
Fair points Little Indian. We should all be sensitive and respectful about each others personal space. And of course, some people will feel uncomfortable about such intimacy.
I do think kids are naturally touchy-feely but maybe it’s a cultural thing and children brought up in the India that you describe shouldn’t be rushed into social change too quickly.
It’s worth pointing out though that teenagers do tend to rebel if they feel too stifled by authority.
We’ll see. It certainly won’t have any life-shattering consequences.
June 16, 2007 at 11:16 pm
flowerchild
@ little indian
Agreed that there are kids who don’t like being touched but i’m sure that wasnt’t why the school’s authorities decided on these new rules !
Kids need to learn to respect other’s personal space but stringent rules like these, I think, are not going to help ! Like earthpal said forbidden things creates forbidden fruits which in the long run will not help! And besides that kids rebel, with rules like these now I’m sure these very kids will go outta their way to break these rules.
I don’t understand what kind of harm a hug or a pat on the back or a hand on another’s shoulder is going to do to any child. Its a different matter if these kids are making out on campus. WOuld be understandable to ban something like that. But its another thing that these kids are still going to find means to bend/break these rules.
Do you really think we’re just mimicing people from the west? Don’t you think what we see today was always happening and its only now that people are being more open about it. I think that’s a good sign and not bad. I think it takes a lot to be what we are today.
By the way, I found your previous comment in the Akismet Spam today !! It’s here now…where its supposed to be ! Wonder why it was taken as spam !
June 17, 2007 at 12:35 am
little indian
Hey, where did you find my other comment?
I wonder what made the school make this rule?
How long before
“a hug or a pat on the back
or a hand on another’s shoulder”
leads to something else, with or without consent.
How long before
a friendly innocent gesture
becomes an act of harassment?
I am reluctant to believe that
every single student has good intentions.
Regarding mimicking the west,
just don’t start me on it…
I’ll keep that for a new blog; for a rainy day.