India’s educators, parents and policymakers are increasingly sounding the alarm over a noticeable decline in discipline and respectful behaviour among schoolchildren. Reports of abusive language, bullying, classroom disruptions, disrespect towards teachers and even peer violence are becoming more frequent—across both rural and urban schools. These are not isolated events but symptoms of a deeper cultural and pedagogical vacuum.
Even as schools push digital literacy and academic competitiveness, they appear to have drifted away from a vital foundation that once defined Indian learning: moral and character education.
A System Overloaded With Exams, Underloaded With Values
Today’s Indian education system is heavily marks-driven. Success is measured through ranks, grades and cut-offs. In this race, qualities like empathy, humility, respect, self-control and civic behaviour have slipped to the background.
Studies by NCERT and child psychologists reveal troubling patterns:
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Excessive screen time and social media exposure
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Rising competitiveness and academic pressure
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Reduced parental engagement
These factors contribute to irritability, impulsiveness and aggression among children.
Worse, behaviours once considered unacceptable—abusive speech, insulting peers, arguing rudely with teachers—are increasingly dismissed as “normal” or even “confidence.” This shift signals a worrying cultural change.
India’s Educational Roots Never Normalised Indiscipline
Traditional Indian education—from ancient gurukuls to institutions like Tagore’s Santiniketan—placed character formation at the heart of learning. Values such as self-discipline, respect for elders, kindness, community harmony, and humility were non-negotiable.
The idea of sanskaar ensured that children first became good humans, and then successful individuals. Modernity does not require abandoning these values; it demands reinforcing them.
Why Schools Must Bring Moral Education Back—Urgently
1. Rising Peer Aggression
Bullying, conflict and toxic behaviour are growing concerns in classrooms.
2. Reduced Value Transmission at Home
Nuclear families, working parents and digital distractions mean children receive less moral guidance from families.
3. Mental Health Strain
Indiscipline often masks stress, anxiety or emotional instability. Value education strengthens emotional intelligence and self-regulation.
4. Social Harmony
Respectful and well-grounded youth directly contribute to safer and more empathetic communities.
5. National Responsibility
With such a large young population, India cannot afford citizens who lack civic responsibility or ethical grounding.
What the Education System Must Do
1. Make Value Education a Core Subject
Not as a one-off lecture, but a structured, age-appropriate curriculum that teaches:
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Empathy
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Responsible communication
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Digital civility
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Conflict resolution
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Civic responsibility
2. Equip Teachers With Behavioural Training
Teachers need institutional support—training in classroom psychology, conflict management and non-punitive discipline.
3. Partner With Parents
Schools should help parents promote respectful behaviour at home through regular workshops and communication.
4. Reduce Excessive Competition
An exam-obsessed environment breeds jealousy, stress and aggression. Emphasising teamwork and extracurricular activities builds maturity.
5. Establish Clear Behavioural Norms
Transparent, consistent rules against bullying, abuse and disrespect must be enforced—firmly yet humanely.
Rebuilding Respect: The Foundation of a Strong Nation
India’s cultural identity prizes humility, discipline and respect—values that are essential for a modern, diverse and democratic society. The growing normalisation of abusive conduct among students is a crisis that demands urgent attention.
If India wants to nurture responsible, compassionate and ethical citizens, moral education must reclaim its central place in schooling—not as punishment or policing, but as character strengthening.
A nation’s future is shaped first in the classroom. The words children use, the respect they show, and the values they internalise will determine the kind of society India becomes.
