Why Children Need Compassionate Education, Not Cruel Discipline?

Education is meant to give direction to life. When it becomes synonymous with fear, violence, and oppression, it turns into one of the greatest tragedies of civilization. In recent years, excessive academic pressure, violent behavior at home and in schools, and the blind race of competition have deeply wounded the very soul of education. The heart-rending incident from Faridabad—where a helpless little girl lost her life due to a father’s cruelty simply because she could not learn counting—has placed the entire society in the dock. Such horrifying manifestations of “education” are no longer isolated family tragedies; they are rapidly becoming a collective social malaise. The frightening outcome of this distorted mindset is the continued belief that fear and physical punishment can make children “better.” In this age of knowledge, it is shameful to even think that, in the name of education, a child’s life, childhood, and self-confidence can be snatched away. Today, education is gradually losing touch with human sensitivity. Exam results, ranks, mark sheets, and competitive statistics are becoming the face of education. Parents burden their children’s tender shoulders with their own unfulfilled dreams, while schools assess them like performance machines. As a result, children no longer see learning as a joyful journey or a process of discovery; instead, it appears as a terrifying obligation.

The home, which should be the safest and most nurturing space, turns into a hub of fear. The school, which should nurture curiosity and creativity, becomes a site of punishment and humiliation. In such circumstances, where does a fragile mind go? With whom does it share its fear and helplessness? Numerous studies in psychology and education have clearly established that violence, scolding, fear, and humiliation destroy a child’s ability to learn. In an atmosphere of fear, a child cannot ask questions, experiment, or learn from mistakes. Memory, concentration, and decision-making abilities suffer. Gradually, the child falls prey to inferiority complexes and begins to see themselves as incapable. This frustration does not remain confined to childhood; it shadows the individual throughout life. Such children often grow up fearing risks, hesitating to express themselves, and lagging behind due to a lack of self-confidence. This is not education; it is a form of mental abuse.

One of our biggest mistakes is trying to measure every child by the same yardstick. The truth is that every child is unique. Some have an aptitude for mathematics, others for art; some flourish in sports, others in music or literature. Nature has endowed every child with a special ability, yet instead of recognizing it, we shackle them within rigid curricula and fixed expectations. The National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes multidisciplinary learning, interest-based education, and value-oriented perspectives, but at the ground level, the obsession with marks and ranks still dominates. Coaching culture, fear of board examinations, and the race for entrance tests have further narrowed the scope of education. It is also a harsh reality that many children face learning difficulties due to congenital, genetic, or situational reasons. Vision or hearing impairments, dyslexia, mental stress, or family instability can affect academic performance. Such children need the greatest understanding, patience, and support. Unfortunately, they are often the first to face scolding and punishment. Instead of understanding their challenges, teachers and parents label them lazy or incompetent. This attitude is not only inhuman but also an injustice to future generations.

The fundamental purpose of education is not merely to transmit information, but to build character. If education fails to teach non-violence, compassion, empathy, and self-respect, it remains incomplete. The most effective way to teach children is through example. When they see dialogue, patience, and love at home and in school, they naturally imbibe these values. Children raised in fear either become submissive or start seeing violence as the solution. The growing intolerance and aggression in society can be traced, in part, to an education system that produces competitive consumers instead of sensitive human beings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated appeals to reduce exam stress and connect education with life itself highlight the seriousness of the problem. However, change will not come through speeches and policies alone. Real transformation will occur when parents understand that their child is not a tool for social prestige, but an independent individual. When teachers accept that their responsibility is not just to complete the syllabus, but to ignite a love for learning. When school administrations abandon a culture of punishment and build systems of support and counseling. And when society acknowledges that failure is also a part of learning, not a crime.

Today, there is an urgent need to humanize education once again—an education where affection forms the basis of discipline, dialogue replaces punishment, and trust takes the place of fear. Children must feel accepted as they are, and assured that their growth will follow their own pace. Viewing education through a lens of non-violence is not merely a moral appeal; it is a practical necessity. A society whose education system breaks children can never become strong. Innocent minds need encouragement, not fear; guidance, not scolding; trust, not violence. Only then can education truly become life-giving, not life-destroying.

The National Progressive Schools’ Conference (NPSC), a leading association of over 250 prominent private senior secondary schools in India, works closely with government bodies such as NCERT and NIEPA to enhance the quality of education. Its focus lies on policy reforms, teaching-learning methodologies, holistic development, technological integration, and value-based education. In this context, Dr. Usha Ram—an experienced educator and leader in the Indian school education sector—and Srinivasan Sriram, Principal of The Mann School, Delhi, a veteran with over 30 years of experience in residential public-school education and IT administration, play significant roles. A former Head of Computer Science at Mayo College, Mr. Sriram is an expert in ICT integration and 21st-century learning. A meaningful discussion on the National Education Policy 2020 was held just yesterday at Platinum Valley International School with these two eminent educationists. There was unanimous agreement on one deeply worrying question: why is education—meant to build life, shape character, and nurture human values—gradually becoming a force of destruction? When education fails to move in the right direction, when it cannot nurture citizens imbued with non-violence, compassion, coexistence, and ethical discernment, the generations it produces become a source of crisis not only at the individual level, but also at social, national, and global levels.