Counselling & The Cyber Age

Professional help for students, parents and teachers could ease the increasing rate of crimes connected with technology.

- Dr Mridula Sinha

A schoolgirl in Delhi attempted suicide when her parents took away her mobile phone. A four-year-old boy in Delhi tried to get physical with his classmate. Several statistics reveal that many young girls are molested by someone close in their families. A rising number of such incidents in a country well-known for its stress on self-control is not only shocking but also heartbreaking!

An artist’s name appears in any of his creations. He or she feels blessed when his/her creation is recognised. The creation of a person is also an art, but the credit for this success or failure goes to both parents and teachers. One cannot blame either one.

From the child’s birth, it is a parent’s responsibility to provide a good environment for the development of his or her personality. No matter if the parents are rich or poor, all they need to do is create a person endowed with good habits. But sometimes their desire is left unfulfilled. When moulding a person, moral values and education are very important.

The question that arises here is: who is responsible for imparting these moral values and education? Our first president Dr Rajendra Prasadji once said, “Education is the complete development of a personality and not just cramming information from books!”

Personality is proper balance of heart, mind, body and soul. All four need to be in coordination with each other. The imparting of education and moral values is not divided among parents and teachers. The issue is very sensitive and a child has two learning platforms – the school and home. The learner is one, but plays the roles of a child of the house and a student!

Even at the ancient gurukulams, there has always been an attempt to establish a relation between parents and teachers. The procedure has been constantly changing.