The document discusses the Gurukula system of education in ancient India and the importance of teachers. It notes that in this system, students lived with their teachers and learned through observation and practice rather than books. It argues that teachers, like parents, aim to guide students onto the right path even if it requires scolding, punishment or other forms of discipline. It provides several examples to illustrate that mild punishment or discipline from caring individuals is intended not to harm but to help students learn and grow into honorable people.

2. In the ancient days, Gurukula system was followed in the field of education. Even the children of kings, Emperors and nobles were handed over to the Gurus. They had no books or note books or computers. The Gurus would lecture and the students learnt by storing everything in their brain and heart. At the time of learning, even the children of Royal Families would render their service to the Guru. They would clean the ashram and dress of the Guru, gather fire wood, cook simple food and serve the same. At the later stage, the parents when they handed over their children to the teachers used to say, “Sir/Madam, my child is at your disposal. Teach him well and make him great. If he commits any mistake, leave his eyes and and skin him. We'll never bother”. By this, we should not misunderstand that the teachers are equivalent to butchers.

3. If a child is of bad conduct, the father warns, scolds and even beats him to make him alright as he is the well-wisher of the child. Similarly, if a child refuses to consume sufficient quantity of food, the mother threatens, scolds and beats to make the child eat because she is the well-wisher of the child and she aims at the physical development of the child. Similar to that, when a student does not study well or misbehaves, a teacher warns, scolds and beats some times and takes all the efforts to make him learn and also to make him a noble citizen because a teacher is also a well wisher of the child like his parents. The teacher teaches good manners to the children.

4. Police people punish the criminals mercilessly. But the parents and teachers have a lot of affection in their heart and punish the children slightly to make them the good citizens. Without understanding the affection of parents and teachers, some children take wrong decisions. Some commit suicide when they are scolded by the parents for having got less marks. Some do the same when the teachers scold them for their misbehaviours or punish them for getting less marks or not attending the classes regularly. In fact the students are not going to fill up the pockets of teachers with money when they become great officials and earn a lot of money. Students should understand that teachers are equivalent to boats, ladder and pickle . The Government has ordered that no children should be scolded or punished. If they don't follow the order, such teachers will be punished. The children and parents with immatured mind may feel happy over it. Political leaders are also selfish to support such orders blind foldingly. They have made the children shed their moral fear towards the teachers.

5. Unless the soil is dug well and ploughed deeply, we can't expect good yield from the field. Unless gold is boiled and hammered, shining jewels can't be made. Unless the raw diamond is rubbed and processed roughly, it will not glitter. If one feels that it will be painful to the soil, gold and diamond when they are processed, we can't get food materials and beautiful ornaments. When we prepare Chapathi or Puri, moistened flour needs to be kneaded well. If we fail to knead the flour and make the dough thinking that it will be painful to the flour, we can't get soft and delicious chappathi or puri. The teachers are like the Farmers, Gardeners and Goldsmiths in shaping the life of students . There may be some exceptions here and there . It is meagre and let us ignore them. They can be made alright by proper counselling.

6. So my dear brothers and sisters, bear with your parents and teachers and undserstand them when they take steps to correct you. They will lead you towards the right path. Don't forget that the parents are the second teachers and the teachers are the second parents. Don't take any hasty decisions. You are safe under the custody of parents and teachers. A beautiful example cited by the great orator Suki Sivam is noteworthy. When a giraffe gives birth, its young one falls down from a height of 5 to 6 feet and gets fainted. Smelling the same, the wild animals like Lion, Tiger, Wolf Hyena etc., will try to attack the young one. The mother giraffe will kick its young one severely with its hind-legs. At once the young one will get up and run behind the mother and escape from the enemies. It shows the motherly affection an animal.

7. The severe kick of the Giraffe may be painful to its young one. But we should understand that it is for the safety and welfare of its young one. Similarly our parents shower their affection on us and they never dream to do any harm to us. If they are rough and tough with you on any of the occasions, you should not mistake them. It will be definitely for the benefit and welfare of their dear children. They scold and beat you slightly to make you go on the right path. It is similar to a bus driver handling the steering roughly to make the bus run on the right path safely. So bear with your parents and be grateful to them. To cite another example : We find a number of rocks and stones in which the sculptures of Gods and Goddesses are hidden. The sculptor with the help of a chisel and hammer removes the unwanted pieces and shapes the stone and rock and brings out the different Gods and Goddesses hidden in them. If the rocks and stones are not wounded by the chisel they would remain stones only. We should not forget that not only the stones are wounded but the chisel that shapes the stone also gets hammered severely.

8. Likewise, you children are also like the stones and so many Doctors, Engineers, Pilots, Collectors, Captains, Army officials etc., are hidden in you. Teachers take the role of the sculptors and shape you. They bring out many higher officials hidden in you. Unless the teachers scold you, beat you a little and punish you, it is not possible to bring out your innate talents. So be thankful to your teachers whenever they scold you or punish you. Please understand their good intension behind it. Thank them heart to heart as they guide you towards the right path . Don't misunderstand your teachers. If the students don't come to school in time, don't do the assigned work, misbehave, is it not the duty of the teachers to correct them by scolding or giving simple punishments? Why should the students in adolescent age run away or commit suicide making the teachers the victims? There is a soft corner in the heart of the teachers for their students.

9. There is difference between the match box in the hands of a rowdy and that of a mother. A rowdy uses the match box to light a beedy or to burn the huts to ashes. But the mother uses the match box to light the lamp. There is difference between the knife in the hands of a butcher and that of a doctor. A butcher uses the knife to kill a goat. But a doctor uses the same to perform operation and save a life. There is difference between a cane in the hands of a policeman and that of a father or teacher. A policeman uses the cane to give corporal punishment to the criminals and rowdies. But the father and teacher use the cane to give mild punishment to the children in order to correct them. Like the match box in a mother's hand, let your life be lit and brightened. Like the knife in the doctor's hand, let your diseases be cured. Like the cane in a father's hand let it correct you. There are two sets of people in the world who are your well wishers. If a child is playing in the drainage water, people who pass by don't bother about it. When the parents or teachers happen to notice it, they get wild. Why? Think it over! You will get the right answer.

10. Similarly when you come up in life, when you become a collector, Engineer, Doctor or any other reputed persons, Parents and teachers proudly lift up their collar and say, "She/He is my child!“ At the same time when a child goes down in his or her life, parents feel very much for the same and secondly the teachers feel very much for the downfall of their products. Therefore my dear children, understand the selfless service, affection and affinity of the parents and teachers and try to be loyal to them and give them a Royal Salute.

11. Conceived by : Shri C. CHANDRASEKAR, M.A., B.Ed., Headmaster (Retd), Kendriya Vidyalaya, Trichy Delivered by Na. Prasannan, B.A ., Trichy, Tamilnadu, India n.prasannam@gmail.com, 99415-05431, 94880-19015, See my slide share side for Power Points http://www.slideshare.net/nprasannam