In Bangladesh, we are constantly witnessing incidents such as attacks and vandalism on buses based on suspicions about students from Dhaka College, destruction of classrooms after a poor exam performance, and the harassment of board officials after failing exams. Sometimes, students from one college announce their intention to wreak havoc in another college. These acts have unfortunately become regular occurrences.
Students are not attending classes regularly, and even when they do, they don’t know what was discussed the previous day. Teachers are embarrassed when grading exam papers. This chaotic situation continues unabated, with teachers being harassed, unreasonable demands being made, and road blockades becoming a common routine. Students can be mobilized for every task except studying. If asked to study, they respond with wall writing, harassment, and personal attacks. Extortion and violence—students are prominently present in these activities. A part of the student body has transformed into a group of thugs!
It is often said that the future of Bangladesh depends on its youth. Who has control over this generation? Who do they listen to? From cigarettes and narcotics to free access to the world of drugs, some students roam unfettered. Even parents are losing control over their children. Some parents have secretly begged the police to incarcerate their children for two years, saying, “We can no longer bear the torment.” Many parents are silent because they don’t know what to say, nor can they endure their children’s mischief. Demands for expensive bikes and mobile phones are increasingly being used as weapons of extortion against parents, and false promises of good grades are made to them.
How many children return home by evening? How many children stay out late at night without their parents knowing? When parents speak up, it often leads to conflict.
If parents have lost control over their children, do you expect these children to listen to adults, teachers, or mentors? They certainly do not. Every day, we hear of accidents, violence, and conflicts around the country—most of which involve students. In the world of narcotics, some students are deeply involved, yet they are often found fighting viciously amongst themselves. Additionally, conflicts between educational institutions and the abusive language students use when addressing each other are becoming more widespread, which is unthinkable in any civilized society.
As someone from the 1990s, witnessing this unruly generation is a source of great embarrassment. Back then, we thought, “The good days are gone, and bad days are here to stay.” Today, some students in school uniforms are openly smoking cigarettes. They leave home telling their parents they’re going to college but instead go to parks with friends, using foul language in front of adults. If anyone offers good advice or encourages them to study or dream big, they consider that person an enemy. The very individuals who urge them to study and follow a righteous path are seen as opposed to their desires.
Can someone who has failed an exam demand to pass through protests? These days, even the concept of shame seems irrelevant. Students protesting for postponed exams are the same generation who, even if the exams were postponed to a later date, would not perform well.
Students today are engaging in brutal fights with each other, acts that surpass even terrorist activities.
So, what is the cause of this shift from a disciplined past to this lawless present? In the past, teachers held the rod of discipline. There was strict governance, and it wasn’t just affection that helped students grow. A child raised with only love, without discipline, will not heed the teacher, or even their own parents. To shape a person, both affection and discipline must go hand in hand.
The psychology of a child raised in Finland differs greatly from that of a child in Bangladesh. A child raised in Banani (an affluent area) is not the same as one raised in the remote char areas of the country. The moral values that led to the abolition of corporal punishment in schools and colleges might need to be re-evaluated. The consequences of a system of education without discipline are glaringly obvious.
Even if there is no formal education system, the efforts of parents can still bring out competent individuals. However, if the general public lacks civility, education, and refinement, the country’s destiny will never change.
The involvement of political parties in educational institutions and the encouragement of student movements are leading students down the wrong path. Furthermore, some unprincipled teachers are exploiting students to serve their own interests, resulting in a nation that is losing its moral compass.
There is also a growing divide between the quality of private tutoring and classroom education, which is a significant reason for the deteriorating standard of education. The lack of tolerance for diverse opinions and the increasing belief that “I am always right” is a mindset that has developed over time. The system of governance and societal structures are largely to blame for this transformation, leaving students as the victims of this flawed system.
The recent images of students humiliating and harassing teachers across the country are partly the result of certain teachers’ behavior. The culture of passing students by allowing them to cheat, ignoring relevant answers to maintain the institution’s reputation, and offering unethical advantages to certain students—these have contributed to the moral decay in society.
Youthful rebellion and bad manners are entirely different. Youth should protest injustice, fight for truth, and strive to establish justice. In both Pakistan’s time and Bangladesh’s independence movement, it was the youth who led the charge against tyranny and oppression. We recently witnessed the power of youth in the July Uprising, which benefits the entire nation.
However, the arrogance that some students now display, thinking they are above others, has left deep scars on society. Campus fights, unnecessary street protests—these are things that should never be tolerated.
In contrast, during the post-government period on August 5th, students stepped up to provide support in times of need—they managed traffic, guarded temples, and helped flood victims. This is the kind of youth we need—those who step in to help during a crisis and continue to fulfill their responsibilities throughout the rest of their lives.
For students, there should be no alternative to education. Yet, the current state of classrooms and the state of exam papers is alarming for the future of the nation. Our future prospects are far from promising, and students are creating a wide gap between dreams and reality. Still, there is hope—our girls are excelling in education.
The government must take stricter measures with students. Parents should take a more active role in monitoring their children’s behavior. Demands for special treatment or protests because of poor exam results, campus conflicts, or post-exam vandalism should not be tolerated.
Teachers need to be empowered with the authority to enforce discipline. However, teachers should never attack students personally. Teachers are there to guide students towards a better future.
Those who are now leading Bangladesh will recall their school days and mention the strict teachers they had. Many will say, “If it weren’t for that strict teacher, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
In the same way, warriors are trained to face battle, so too must students face life’s challenges during their educational journey. Education should prepare students for life’s obstacles, for without discipline, we are breeding a generation of lost individuals.
We need to reflect on the rise of bad manners and analyze whether it is a result of a broader societal failure. We cannot leave the burden solely on the government. Everyone has a responsibility. With the current state of student affairs, I am genuinely worried about where the next generation will go. The lack of respect for elders and the absence of reverence for younger generations send a harmful message to society.
Every society has its flaws, but when the negative forces overpower the good, the values of society become compromised. To protect the good, both discipline and affection are needed. If we fail to instill both, we will be faced with an even more fragile future.
In Canada, this issue resonates as well, albeit in a different context. The youth are often caught between balancing personal freedom and societal expectations. While Canada has a strong educational system, we still see struggles in some urban areas, where youth disconnect from their cultural roots and face issues such as addiction, bullying, and lack of discipline. There is an increasing demand for a more holistic approach to education, one that incorporates not just academic learning but also the values of respect, community, and accountability. Schools and parents, along with government policy, need to collaborate to instill discipline and respect in future generations to ensure that the country remains strong and united.
