CBSE wants schools to introduce anger-free zones. This is welcome but education should be a priority
The Central Board of School Education’s (CBSE) latest directive to schools is an intriguing one. It has asked schools to become anger-free zones. To this end, educators and school administrators have been asked to curb displays of anger inside school premises. The aim, board officials say, is to eliminate emotions such as “disrespect”, “fear”, “hurt” and “humiliation”, which are the by-products of anger, among students. Maybe someone at the CBSE is a Star Wars fan and took the words of the Jedi sage Yoda, who in a movie says, “Fear is the path to the dark. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” As such, the CBSE’s move is welcome for schools but it would be prudent to remember that one cannot curtail anger from a child’s life completely. There will still be anger inside many homes. Other sources of anger, some coming from the competitive spirit on the playground, will continue to linger on. And tackling anger is not just something that should be done inside the school premises but everywhere.
As such, this is a good initiative. A cursory glance on social media will show that there is a lot of pent-up rage among India’s youth. A lot of this has come about, thanks to a culture of hate that modern society has bred. Tackling this problem is an urgent need but schools should also invest in emotional counselling of children to tackle these problems. They can also possibly look at creating spaces and activities where children and even administrators can channelise their anger towards more productive causes such as sports or even video games. Anger is not just a problem among children but it is there among teachers and the communities surrounding schools. Also, in the culture of schools, which infects children. The CBSE must not forget that the primary purpose of schools is to educate children and educate them well. Anger management will make for a more rounded education. At the end of the day, schools and administrators will be judged by results, not necessarily only academic.