Yoga, meditation, counselling to tackle runaway students

The escape of 53 students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Gurdaspur a couple of days ago has made the authorities sit up and take notice. Though the students — who took shelter in a gurdwara — have returned, the officers feel there was a need to control their aggression.

Claiming that the pupils were not maltreated, officers at JNV’s regional office here said that it all started with an inter-class tiff that escalated to such a degree that the teachers had to tell students that their parents would be summoned and apprised of their behaviour. “Scared of their parents, they got together and escaped. When the local tehsildar and the DSP went to bring them back, the students took an assurance that their parents will not be informed,” said Suresh K Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, JNV, Northern Region.

Principal Renu Sharma said one of the Class XI boys, who was a habitual troublemaker, engaged in a fight with Class X boys. Groups of the two classes clashed, and when the teachers got the wind of it, they ran away to beat the rap. “We have been holding meetings with students and I will also prepare a case history of each and involve parents in drafting corrective measures,” she said, adding that this mob mentality was a cause of concern.

Posted in: JNV