Parents too, he says, are of a different breed. Now, parents are more educated. You cannot punish a student the way you used to anymore. For example, corporal punishment, which has been disallowed, used to work very well to maintain discipline. But now, the emphasis is on creating a 'caring society'.
Teachers have to be more conscious of their actions.
Dealing with critism Teachers are in a catch-22 situation, says Meera. If a teacher disciplines a student, say by beating or scolding him, he or she will, in many cases, face the criticism from parents, psychologists and the press. The teacher may also get threats, or worse, end up finding her car scratched or its tyres without air. If we decide to leave the student alone, the class will be disrupted. Psychologist Dr Edward Chan says teachers should listen to their students and find out why they behave in such a way.