Published: 10:53 PM, 16 August 2026
What Are Students Heading for, Leaving Their Study Tables Behind?
If one resolves to do good deeds at the very beginning of the day, one's behavior and character gradually improve. To illustrate this, Madanmohan Tarkalankar, a 19th century poet in Bangla literature, conveyed a message through the verses "Sokale uthiya aami mone mone boli, saradin aami jeno valo hoye choli"(When I rise in the morning, I say to myself, “May I pass the whole day with sanctity”. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar of the same age also meant the same in his ‘Barnaparichay’, alongside introducing children with Bangla alphabets. It was through such primers that children once took their first steps into the world of learning. The theme that emerges clearly from the works of the literary figures mentioned above is nothing but character formation of a child shaped not only by textbooks but also by the collective influence of family, educational institutions, and society.
The thoughts came to my mind following a decision made by the Feni district administration that prohibited students from loitering aimlessly or gathering at roadside tea stalls after dusk. The local administration in an upazila of Barishal had issued a similar announcement earlier. The issue raises a pertinent question: if the local administrations need to impede students from loitering about after dusk, is the scale of responsibility of the guardians and educational institutions shrinking day by day?
Since children are naturally inclined to imitate, they internalize whatever they see, hear, or observe within their family. From behavior to personality molding, family exerts a profound influence. Maria Montessori and Sigmund Freud have repeatedly emphasized the same thing underscoring family and domestic experiences.
During our school years in the 1980s and 1990s, corporal punishment using the cane was a constant company. Inattention to lessons, mischievous nature, or even mere capriciousness would invite punishment from the teachers. But what existed behind this punishment was a culture of discipline pregnant with love, affection and guidance. The discipline, in fact, imposed by teachers was rooted in a firm code of conduct.
In our childhood, after the school hours, we would play around the neighborhood or go wherever we wished; yet, we always kept in mind the need to return home before evening. The scenario is different today. Some adolescents now no longer feel compelled to return home before evening. Instead, they leave home after sunset. Their destinations are now more likely to be neighborhood lanes, roadside tea stalls or friends’ house. There whatever the subjects of their gathering may be, academic issues remain conspicuously absent. But before pinning the blame on them, we ought to ask ourselves: did we keep any playgrounds or open spaces for those afternoons they spent idling away indoors?
The blame for these uncontrolled hangouts outside the home is usually placed solely on them though lack of family ties—which acts as a catalyst for such behavior—is overlooked. Criminology posits that an adolescent is not inherently prone to criminality. One's behavior is shaped by the surroundings, companies, and experiences. The criminological theory of 'differential association' posits the same. Through regular interaction with groups of delinquents in crime-prone areas or public spaces, adolescents are drawn into a world of smoking, drug abuse, theft, or mugging, eventually leading some of them to become ensnared in juvenile gangs.
Criminal syndicates, exploiting the misconception that “juveniles are not tried” or that “minors face no punishment” are using the adolescents in extortion, mugging, drug trafficking, brawls, and even murder. Consequently, not only are juvenile gangs proliferating, but the future of the younger generation is also being plunged into darkness.
The ministry banned the use of canes in educational institutions following a High Court directive in 2011. The cane was eventually banished from the classrooms as this kind of punishment seemed to be a threat to the lives of children. But we often forget that the government has banned corporal punishment, not discipline itself. While families and educational institutions once maintained a balance of discipline and guidance; today, the blend of the two are seldom found,
However, socializing does not necessarily equate to going astray. Sports, cultural activities, study circles, or creative social gatherings certainly play a role in the psychological maturity of children and adolescents. Yet, when such socializing becomes aimless, unregulated, and unrestrained, it can lead to disaster in their lives.
Teachers, who once used to look after students outside the classroom and would occasionally visit a student's home to make sure on their academic progress, now think twice before counseling them outside class hours. We, in fact, lack dedicated government entity to prevent school-going students from going astray.
Neither families nor schools can evade responsibility for this tendency among students to go astray, even if they wished to do so. Many countries around the world are seriously considering banning the use of social media for those below a certain age. In our country, no strong voice has yet been raised regarding this issue. Families have handed smart phones to their children in response to their demands, yet are there any supervisions regarding when and how these devices are being used? Besides, to what extent are schools addressing moral education, life skills, co-curricular activities, and counseling for students? Had families and educational institutions taken the initiative to fulfill their responsibilities with greater awareness, the local administration would not have needed to take measures to curb students' aimless socializing in the evenings.
Badrul Huda Sohel is Assistant
Professor and Head, Department of
English at Ishakha International
University, Kishoreganj. He can be
reached at [email protected]
