The inclusion of a new lesson in the Class 3 Tamil textbook about a schoolgirl who was under mental pressure after her neighbour misbehaved with her is a welcome step in the present social circumstances, say parents. The lesson, ‘Ippadi Nadanthal’, will help students to be bold and resist those who try to misbehave with them, they say. Teachers too believe that such measures are the need of the hour.
“This is a much-needed lesson, considering the present state of affairs. Students need to be taught to identify proper and improper physical contact and when the message goes through teachers, it will be conveyed properly,” says Vijayalakshmi, principal, Corporation Primary School, Ramakrishnapuram.
“It is not too early to start teaching these things. If taught at this stage, children will keep the lesson in mind,” said Jaya, a teacher.
The lesson narrates how the girl was forced to view dirty pictures on a neighbour’s mobile phone. She loses her innocence and charm after the incident, but timely intervention by her teacher takes her back to happy days. Apart from the lesson’s content, there are three questions and answers to affirm that the child is not at fault if he/she is subject to such practices. “No child is safe in today’s criminal ambience. Children are exploited in public places and vehicles. It is essential that they are taught about the dangers at an early stage,” says Manimohan, president, Students Welfare Association of Parents (SWAP).
Some parents feel the Class 3 is too early to teach such things. “It would have been better if the lesson was taught in Class 5 or 6. Children this young may not understand such things at all,” said Kousalya, mother of Harshini Priya at Chinmaya Matriculation School.
Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary of State Platform for Common School System, said the onus of sending the right message to children is on their teachers. “Nowadays children undergo much humiliation and abuse and the lesson should help them fight trauma. The effort is good but it should not make children look at everyone with suspicion after learning such lessons. They should be taught to identify genuine love and care and respond accordingly. Teachers have great responsibility in ensuring that the lesson does not send a negative message.”