MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has constituted a six-member expert committee to explore and analyse the current educational scenario in the State in terms of examination system and challenges faced by children.
A Habeas Corpus Petition was filed by one Navaneethakrishnan to produce his missing daughter who was studying in a college and based on the directive of the court, Melapalayam police registered a case and found the girl and subsequently she was produced before a Bench comprising Justices S Vimala and T Krishnavalli. Upon enquiry with the girl, the judges found that she ran away from home apprehending that she would be scolded by her father because of poor performance in examination.
Recording it, the judges said in recent times they eventually came across several incidents that unravelled the deviant behaviour of student population, like students committing suicide, students killing teachers, students eloping with the other sex and students either themselves involved in drug addiction/trafficking or being entangled in those problems.
Further, the bench observed that the mental health and well being of students did not get the deserved attention. “Therefore, we are of the view that the school mental health programme, if implemented, would be effective in improving learning and psychological well being and treating mental health problems”, the judges said. Considering the plight of students leaving the house due to failure in studies, the court constituted a six member committee comprising Directors of Technical Education, School Education and Higher Education, Vice Chancellor of Karaikudi Alagappa University, C.Ramasubramanian - Psychiatrist, K.Sekar, Registrar of NIMHANS.
Further, the bench directed the committee to explore and analyse the current educational scenario in the State in terms of examination system, parent-teacher interaction, support available to students (academic, psychological and mechanisms), strength of co-curricular activities, challenges faced by children and the concerns of teachers, parents and educational administrators and to file a report in 10 days.