Since childhood, we have been told that getting A grade in school determines if you are worthy of ruling the world in the future by becoming an engineer or doctor. If not, you don't really have a future.
Now, in the quest to become that doctor or engineer, children are made to go through tremendous hard work and some mandatory flogging as well. The question remains is if the latter part is just as important as the former one.
India cricket team captain Virat Kohli took to Instagram on Saturday to post a video with a hard-hitting message to the society, especially to the parents not only in India but also worldwide.
Does flogging and bashing a kid to make him a future doctor or an engineer really work in today's world? That is the question we are asking today.
To be honest, corporal punishments in schools have come down over the years after Supreme Court of India's strict guidelines. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) have also time and again issued guidelines to schools to end the practice.
Having said that, corporal punishment is still prevalent in the country and there are several cases going unreported.
Not only is this giving a long-term emotional scar to the children but this is also leading to adverse physical and psychological behaviour in them. Reports of increased aggression among students and retaliation against teachers are also on the rise.
Even depression, low self-esteem, tensions from an early age are the effects of corporal punishment.
It is this message that Kohli is trying to put forward. Hopefully, the government can once again lay down the guidelines on corporal punishment, both at home and in educational institutions and try arranging possible workshops for parents on how to handle their child.
Oh, and if you missed the most important part of Kohli's caption to the video above, it is this: "A child can never learn if intimidated."
