Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Unacceptable

This refers to the letter that argues that the school authorities are not to blame for the death of Milan Tanna, a Class XI student who collapsed while running around the school ground as punishment for late-coming (Oct. 29). Asking students to run nearly a kilometre for coming late is as unacceptable as corporal punishment. It can cause very serious complications in students suffering from ailments. They may be unwilling to divulge their problem out of fear or hesitation.

Punctuality, no doubt, is an important virtue. But it can be inculcated through physically less stressful and more innovative methods of punishment. A student can be prevented from attending a games or art class or a fine can be imposed on him or her.

G. Anirudh,

New Delhi

Late coming should invite a much lesser punishment, if counselling is not enough. Parents can be summoned to the school and the need for punctuality impressed upon them. It is highly regrettable that a child fell victim to disproportionate punishment in a school. More regrettable is that such punishment finds justification among some.

T.R. Anandan,

Coimbatore

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