Why are teachers wary of failing students these days

India Today

a day ago

In staff rooms across India, a quiet frustration simmers. Teachers, once authority figures who could enforce rules, maintain discipline, and prepare students for the grit of real life, now find themselves operating under a set of policies that, while well-intentioned, have left them feeling powerless.The no-detention policy, introduced under the Right to Education Act (2009) and later partially rolled back, coupled with CBSE guidelines on "positive discipline" and "restorative practices", means that in many schools, punitive measures, even mild, non-violent ones, are discouraged. Writing an imposition 100 times? Out. Making a disruptive child stand at the back? Forbidden. Failing a student who refuses to study? Off the table until Class 8 in most government and affiliated schools.advertisementThe aim was to create safe, nurturing learning spaces. But teachers say that without the authority to correct behaviour, they are expected to turn out responsible, disciplined adults from classrooms where rules are increasingly seen as optional.WE CAN'T CHECK THEM, BUT WE'LL BE CHECKED
"We're not asking to beat children," says Shalini Kumar, a Delhi-based private school teacher with 18 years of experience. "But there has to be some immediate, tangible consequence when a student crosses the line. Right now, if a child misbehaves, all we can do is 'counsel' them. Many just smirk through it. There's no accountability."Her colleague adds, "We can't even write negative remarks in report cards without a parent complaint. Yet at the year-end, if that same child scores poorly, it's our competence that's questioned."The problem isn't only about discipline it's about the onus. Teachers are now expected to not just teach, but also single-handedly shape character, instil motivation, and ensure top grades, all while operating within an increasingly toothless disciplinary framework.THE GUIDELINES THAT CHANGED THE GAMECBSE's latest advisory emphasises "positive discipline", "restorative conversations", and "age-appropriate interventions". While these approaches are globally recognised, many Indian teachers say they've been rolled out without adequate training or support.TRAINING BY THE NUMBERS: POLICY VS REALITYIndia invests heavily in teacher development at least on paper. Under Samagra Shiksha, over Rs 500 crore is spent annually on training lakhs of teachers through a cascade model. But by the time state-level modules filter down to block-level trainers and finally to teachers, much of the nuance and practical application is lost."We are told to build future-ready citizens. But our hands are tied - we can't fail them, can't reprimand them, can't even ask them to write lines as a consequence. And when they underperform, we are the first to be blamed."- A government school teacher, Uttar PradeshThe skill gap is glaring: a TISS study covering eight states found that 35-41% of mathematics teachers in both private and government schools do not hold an undergraduate degree in math.Meanwhile, the ASER 2022 report paints a troubling picture:Only 20.5% of Class 3 students can read at a Class 2 level (down from 27.3% in 2018).Division skills in Class 5 have slipped from 28.2% in 2018 to 25.6% in 2022.advertisementIn other words, teachers are being asked to use restorative discipline to shape behaviour and close academic gaps - often without the subject mastery, training, or authority to do either effectively.PARENTS SEE THE GAP TOOMy son failed two subjects in Class 7, but the school promoted him anyway," says Rohit Sharma, a Bengaluru parent. "Now in Class 9, he's struggling badly not just in academics, but in focus and resilience. He's never been told 'no' by a teacher."Some parents, however, welcome the softer approach. "I don't want my child humiliated or punished in front of peers," says Anita Varma, mother of a Class 5 student in Gurugram. "But I do want discipline. The school has to find a middle ground, and right now they haven't."
THE REAL-WORLD COSTTeachers warn that an entire generation is growing up without exposure to consequence a reality that could hit hard when these students face competitive exams, demanding workplaces, or personal setbacks."We are producing children who've never been told they are wrong and then sending them into a world that will not be so kind," says Shalini Kumar. "When they fail out there, who will they blame? Probably us again."advertisementFINDING THE MIDDLE GROUNDExperts say the solution lies not in swinging back to corporal punishment or public shaming, but in giving teachers clear, enforceable tools for correction coupled with targeted training to implement restorative discipline effectively.Until then, the message from classrooms is clear: without the power to check students in meaningful ways, the burden of raising responsible citizens will remain an impossible task.- Ends