Vodka in water bottle, cellphone in lunch box

A News From Times Of India:-



Three girls in Indore bringing vodka in their water bottles to school may have shocked authorities there, but Delhi schools aren't surprised.

Students in Delhi schools love breaking rules in the most creative ways - from hiding cellphones in tiffin boxes to getting piercings for 'astrological reasons'. And most often, rules are broken for the 'holy' trinity of alcohol, cellphones and fashion.

Says Serena D'Souza*, a convent school teacher, "Cellphones are not allowed, but students don't obey. A few days ago, a girl had wrapped her phone in aluminium foil and put it in her tiffin box." A teacher from a south Delhi school says, "These students are connected to the internet 24x7, so we usually find them with mobiles. Once, a student hid his mobile in his plaster cast! We didn't know if it was hilarious or outrageous."

For teachers, "fashionable" students create the biggest nuisance. Says Ramneek Mittal* from a north Delhi school, "Many show no respect for the uniform. Of course, most girls have coloured hair, but low-waist trousers are really annoying. Once, a student got her lower lip pierced, and just look at her imagination - she said an astrologer had told her to! We called her mother and the stud in the piercing was gone the next day." Adds Sweety Bakshi, "Students test our patience by wearing low-waist trousers (trousers are the uniform for both boys and girls in her school). They spike their hair, girls sport bangs, and what not."

But of course, bringing alcohol beats everything else. Says Neha Mahesh*, a class five student of a Janakpuri school, "A boy in my class was found with a beer bottle. He was seen in class a week later." A teacher from her school says, "We were surprised to find such a young student drunk in class in the morning. Since when did class five students start drinking?"

Student Ayesha Sethi* says, "Boys also smoked in our school. Once a boy was smoking near the Chemistry Lab, and the neighbouring classroom caught fire. It was obviously this guy's fault, though no one was caught for it." She adds that breaking of windows was also a very regular thing for them! "Boys used to play cricket in the classroom," she explains.

Even punishment is not enough of a deterrent. Anju Uppal from Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, tells us, "We levy a fine which is taken from the child's pocket money if he/she is caught with a cellphone, and also confiscate the handset, but it is still the most common thing." Pinkoo Chawla from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vasant Kunj, says, "Many students are caught with mobile phones. We give them a warning letter, and if they are caught again, they are suspended for a few days. So far, there have been no drinking complaints."