Abstract

Our schools need to be aware of the sensitive and impressionable nature of minds of school children and must ensure that all students, irrespective of their differences in physical, social, economic status or by their being differently able are dealt with in a dignified manner. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), an international legal instrument has obligated nations including India to review and reframe legislations in line with the provisions of the convention. The aim is to transform schools in to child friendly; by providing friendly, rewarding and supportive atmosphere for the emotional and psychological well being of students. The present study attempts to find out to what extent our schools are healthy, safe and protective of child’s emotional, psychological and physical well being. The present study reveals that a warm and friendly relationship between teachers and students is gradually fading out. Most of the schools fail to provide a friendly, rewarding and supportive atmosphere for the emotional and psychological well being of children. The fear of indiscipline, the fear of external interference, unchanging and continuing monotonous class room management practices, inertia for change, some strong ‘misbelieve’ among girl students about boys-girls interaction are some of the hurdles in this way. It is seen that in many of the schools there is no purposeful and effective systems for creating child friendly atmosphere. The schools do not have a policy for ensuring child rights.

[1] Senior Lecturer, DIET, Kasaragod, Kerala.

[2] Professor, Department of Education, Annamalai University, Tamilnadu.