Students Strikes

STUDENTS STRIKES
The purpose of this study was to investigate the management of secondary school students' unrest and the responses of school managers in the light of the causes of students' strikes in Machakos District. . This study sought to find out the causes of strikes and the response of the school managers, and their effect on the management of secondary schools in Machakos District. Three main objectives guided the study thus; to establish the causes of students' strikes in Machakos District, to establish the response of school managers towards students' strikes in Machakos District and the effects of students' strikes and the response of school managers in the management of secondary schools in Machakos District. This study employed descriptive survey design. Its target population was students and the teaching staff of 47 secondary schools of Machakos District. It utilised random sampling to get sample. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection; 742 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and 80% response rate was achieved. The study found out that the main causes of students' unrest were; lack of dialogue, poor diet, inadequate learning material, inadequate teaching staff and poor performance in examination, and the managers responses included, closure of schools, improving the diet and availing learning materials and teaching staff for better performance. The study concluded that school managers should do a pre-analysis of students' needs before schools open, the Deputy Head teacher should always be in school in the absence of the Head teacher, regular staff meetings should be held and that student representatives should attend these meetings, prefects should be trained through seminars and workshops on leadership and counselling, disciplinary procedures concerning suspension and punishment should -be clearly communicated to both students and teachers, and the teacher on duty should reside in the school compound to ensure that students are where they should be and that any problem arising is handled immediately.
CAUSES AND CURE
The student community plays a vital role in every society. It has always been recognised as a great force. The students are the future leaders. They are young, energetic and enligh¬tened. In every country the leadership emerges out of the students who are idealistic and have some dreams about their life, society and country. They are, no doubt, a sensitive set of people who do not like many social and econorriic evils. In their idealism they set high goals for themselves. Students are the hope of tomorrow. In our country there is a general problem of student unrest. Very often they go on strikes and indulge in violence. Teachers accuse them of lack of respect for them. Parents are also not happy with them. Their activities are a source of trouble to the government. Students do not take adequate interest in their studies. In examinations they do not fare well. Sometimes without any ground they bycott the examination and resort to strike. They threaten their teachers and damage public property. If school authorities or government take any action against them, they take to violence. They are not prepared to obey anybody. They show little regard for the laws of the land.

It is accepted by all that there is great unrest among students. But what is the real cause of it. Some people put the entire blame on the students. There are some who blame the teachers, while some others blame the authorities for this.
The student community plays a vital role in every society. It has always been recognised as a great force. The students are the future leaders. They are young, energetic and enligh¬tened. In every country the leadership emerges out of the students who are idealistic and have some dreams about their life, society and country. They are, no doubt, a sensitive set of people who do not like many social and econorriic evils. In their idealism they set high goals for themselves. Students are the hope of tomorrow. In our country there is a general problem of student unrest. Very often they go on strikes and indulge in violence. Teachers accuse them of lack of respect for them. Parents are also not happy with them. Their activities are a source of trouble to the government. Students do not take adequate interest in their studies. In examinations they do not fare well. Sometimes without any ground they bycott the examination and resort to strike. They threaten their teachers and damage public property. If school authorities or government take any action against them, they take to violence. They are not prepared to obey anybody. They show little regard for the laws of the land.fIt is accepted by all that there is great unrest among students. But what is the real cause of it. Some people put the entire blame on the students. There are some who blame the teachers, while some others blame the authorities for this problem. Then there are some persons who think that our system of education is responsible for it. As a matter of fact the whole fault does not lie with any of these. The main cause of this problem is something deeper. We must try to get at the root of the problem.
There is no denying the fact that there is a widespread unrest among the students in India as in many other countries of the world. Of late this unfortunate phenomenon has assumed such an alarming proportion that educationists, administrators and thinkers have been forced to sit up and apply their minds to find out some worthwhile solution of this malaise. It is accepted by all that because of its typical, complicated and sensitive nature, this problem cannot be dealt with like any other administrative or technical problem. Any attempt to deal with this delicate human problem in a roughshod manner is fraught with grave social and political consequences, hence it requires a very careful and sympathetic handling.
It is again an admitted fact that there are number of causes of the growing unrest among the student community in India. The present system of education, frustation due to unemployment, idealogical vacuum, indifference of autho¬rities towards students’ problems, continued influence and interjection of politics in the educational institutions, environ¬mental crisis and decline in the general standards, are some of the potent factors which have stirred up a commotion in our temples of learning.
India is passing through a period of transition. There is a spirit of revolt in the new generation against the older values, standards and age-old traditions. The clerk-oriented system of education that India inherited from the British, has not so far undergone any perceptible change so as to be commensurate with the post-independence conditions and aspirations. Our universities and colleges continue to be baboo producing factories. It is a sad commentary on the system of our education that graduates and post-graduates are running after white-collar jobs without any success, as their number far exceeds the number of such jobs available nrthe country. There are not enough employment opportu¬nities even for the highly technically and professionally trained and experienced people. The spectre of unemployment and bleak future haunts them and makes them restive.
During the freedom movement in India the student com¬munity was called upon to contribute its bit and it played a valuable role, as it considered the attainment of freedom as the panacea for all our ills. During the movement students’ enthusiasm and energy were usefully directed and channelised. At that time they had an ideal before them. But after the independence of the country, the slogans of socialism and garibi hatao could not catch the fancy of the student com-munity. There is a complete ideological vacuum, which coupled with lack of direction has resulted in total bewilder¬ment. Lack of constructive programme and purpose has swayed the energies of the student to vandalism and rowdyism.
Our youth in the universities and colleges read a lot about the oddities, novelties and ultra-modern fashions pre¬valent amongst the students of other rich and prosperous Western countries. They feel like emulating them but are seriously handicapped by utter lack of resources within the country, This also leads to frustation, which in turn is manifested in indiscipline and unrest.
There is a serious complaint that those in charge of educational institutions have shown utter indifference to the demands and problems of the students. Students’ main grievances relate to the defective system of examinations, fauly curriculm, inadequate hostel accommodation, lack of library facilities, ill-eqipped laboratories, exorbitant tuition fees, etc. There may be complaints about the harsh, indecent and dictatorial behaviour of the teaching staff. The medium of instruction may well be another item in their complaints. May be, they want their mother tongue to be the medium of instruction rather than English, which results in enormous national waste in the percentage of failures.
Students have some grievances against public authorities as well. They feel that public authorities have miserably failed in their duty in not creating adequate employment opportunities for them. Reckless, unimaginative and sinister interference by the authorities in the affairs of the students and educational institutions has also provoked their anger. Protests against police excesses are often the spontaneous outbursts of violent and unruly behaviour.Students are a sensitive lot, full of passion and energy. Sometimes politicians inject their nefarious politics among the student community and utilise them for the furtherance of their vested interests. They provoke and incite them to resort to strikes and demonstrations on trivial matters and on matters absolutely unrelated to them. The student agi¬tation in Tamil Nadu on the official Language Bill and in Aligarh on the issue of Aligarh Muslim University (Amend¬ment) Bill are apt examples to be cited in this connection. Thus the unprincipled politicians deliberately create unrest and agitation among the students over subjects not related to their studies.
The environmental crisis with which the students are confronted today is another factor responsible for the student unrest. The student is required to live in his own house in the traditional way. But in college and the coffee house he finds himself amongst ultra-moderns while in the market and on the streets he is confronted with the Hippie culture. All this, unmistakably, creates emotional imbalance in the mind of the Indian youth, who find themselves at a cross-road of contradictory values and standards. It definitely leads to turbulence and unrest in the students and often prompts them to unseemly behaviour.
An extensive study conducted on the influence of Mass Media on the students indicates that it does teach them the alphabet of indiscipline and violence. On television and screen, sometimes, we find that acts of indiscipline, violence and unruly behaviour are portrayed as heroic virtues and, qualities. It is enough to misguide the impressionable youth who try to imitate and emulate those heroic deeds. This definitely leads to abnormal behaviour.
The teacher-taught relation is another serious problem. No personal contact between the teacher and the taught is possible in a crowded class-room. The student community does not have much of traditional respect and esteem for the teachers. There is rather a business-like dealing between them’. The students have developed an attitude of buyers while the teachers have reduced themselves to the status of sellers. Rich and mischievous students believe that every teacher has his price. This attitude gives rise to indiscipline and impertinence among the students.
The unrest, indiscipline and turmoil in the student com- munity is a grave danger to our social, economic and political life. Let it be clearly understood that it is not a law and order problem ; it is rather a human problem and deserves a human approach. The malady of student unrest is deep-rooted and requires very sympathetic handling. Again, it cannot be cured overnight. Ways and means have to be found and concerted efforts have to be made to uproot he causes of this cancerous disease.
The first step that can be suggested is that the complaints and grievances of the students should be promptly attended to. Their demands should be examined on merits and genuine difficulties removed. Even if small, insignificant and petty grievances are allowed to remain unredressed, they may stir up massive protests and demonstrations. It is no use condemning the student community as a whole. There can be no doubt that a little accommodation shown to them would soften their aggressive attitude. Attempts should be made to make them realise that resort to strikes and violence does positive harm to the society and in no way brings any good to them. They should not be allowed to form an impression that nothing sort of vandalism and rowdyism would make the administration redress their grievances. Unfortunately luch an impression has been created in the minds of the students.
As the situation exists at present, a student after having completed his education has to run from pillar to post in search of a job, often without success. One can hardly imagine the deep frustation that overtakes him on this account Therefore better and more employment opportu-nities should be created for and assured to the students. Then, the system of education and examination needs a complete overhaul. It should be closely related to careers. These measures would go a long way towards preventing unrest and frustation among the students.
Should the society permit the students to participate in the affairs of the administration of their educational institu¬tions, which are meant for them, and thus enable them to Identify themselves with these temples of learning? Such identification would minimise their grievances and hence reduce the chances of any violent confrontation and trouble. The administration must realise that use of force against the students cannot always meet with success ; rather it would harden their attitude and would ultimately make matters worse. Record of police excesses on sludents makes a sad reading. It is very unfortunate that in a free country students are beaten, tear-gased and lathi-charged like thieves and criminals. There would be no end to the problem if this trend persists.
Why should the students be barred from taking part in the politics of the country if they are mature enough to judge and decide what is in their best interest. The students are full of energy that needs proper canalization in the nobler task of national reconstruction. National leadership owes a great responsibility in giving them a lead and direction, absence of which would result in irreparable damage to national human resources.