Listeners at the informal discussion on teachers turning terrors in the classroom. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

The discussion was an informal one, just a chat over coffee between teachers, students and parents. But the opinions and comments flew thick and fast, as the issues of teachers turning into terrors in the classroom and the education system ruining the development of the child progressed.

The venue was Aqua Java, Camac Street. The coffee shop was packed with listeners, as the panellists struck up a lively debate. Organised by Theatrecian, S. Sen, principal of International School, started off with: ?To a certain extent, the education system is bookish.?

She elicited satisfied nods of agreement, as she continued by adding that it?s a mistake to think that education is all about exams. She felt there are negative influences already on the child and the school should be a place where the child is allowed to think, rationalise and be allowed to be himself. ?Motivation by the teacher is necessary before education can take place.?

The hot topic of corporal punishment was touched up, in light of the toddler from Our Lady Queen of the Mission School in Salt Lake being allegedly tortured by a teacher recently. The spate in student suicide was also discussed.

Student activist and founder of the youth group Elaan, Pranaadhika Sinha, felt that stress management was required for students and teachers. The door should be open all the time, she added.

The value system of cutthroat competition was at fault, but instead of isolation, a balance is necessary, felt most panellists, young and old. Swati Lal, a teacher at Bridge International School, said: ?Values are very important. Teachers need value education, too. We can?t just keep blaming the children. Schools need to be a lot more open-minded.?

Open-minded versus dictatorial, despot versus one big happy family, following orders versus contributing and participating ? different kinds of schools breed different kinds of future citizens. The question is, how best to mould the young minds. Ranjana Bhattacharya, a teacher of St Xavier?s Collegiate School, rubbished the examination system in practice as ?disastrous, torturous, killing, a system of elimination?.

She added that the link between the greater herd (society) and the smaller herd (family) had snapped. ?So, parents feel better if their child is a third-rate engineer rather than a first-rate author.?

Budding actor and SRFTI student Dhruv Mukherji felt the support from his parents and teachers had paved the way for his success. ?The student-teacher relationship is very important. When we are young, we are scared of our teachers and afraid to complain against them. Who is going to police the teachers?? he summed up.