Posted:
At a time when students are so
emotionally bankrupt, Priti
Botadkar finds out whether they
have any realistic role models to
look up to
An
advertising
teacher
recently
stopped
all
work
in
a
class
upon
a
comment
a student made, and asked them
to state their role models. Funnily
enough, most of them idolized
either film actors or sports
persons, or "rich businessmen".
All of these students are above
21 years of age, and yet the
choices are "juvenile" according
to the teacher, since the students
do not even know anything
about the lives of the people they
idolized.
"This generation is swept away
by fame and money. But fame
more than money. All they know
about the person they look up to
is that his or her picture is in the
papers every day and that he or
she is to die for'. That means he
or she looks good. That's the end
of the inspiration they draw from
their role models," says Rohini
Hemani, who is the teacher in
question.
It is a tough time that students,
teachers and parents have to
deal with, since the common
ground between idealism and
pragmatism is difficult to find. If
it is, by some miracle, found, then
it is difficult to tread upon. A
recent Gujarati play, Man Male Tya
Melo, explores this concept of
idealism, and questions whether
the idealistic knowledge should
be limited only to the books
published, since it does not help
a person earn a living. It thus
leaves the teachings of
Vivekanand and Gandhi in doubt.
"When I saw this play last week, I
was taken aback at all the
questions it raises very sensitive
issues, and then finally found
that the questions stay behind in
theatre when to stand up to get
out. Such is the way of life, if you
think much, it just results in a lot
of dissonance. It is much easier
to go home and root for Sachin
Tendulkar or Lionel Messi," says
FYBCom student Rehan Shah.
"The problem is that with any
person, there will be negatives
and positives. We are never
going to find an ideal' role model
for any student. And we cannot
blame only the students for their
ignorance. They need to be
pointed in the right direction, to
know whom to follow and
idolize and for what reason,"
says senior education researcher
and former professor, Dr
Shubhada Joglekar.
Peer pressure is a factor when
one is looking at role models. "I
remember the days when
Tendulkar was at his best, and I
used to admit to not liking him.
No particular reason. I was
looked upon as a traitor by my
friends, and I had to explain each
time why not. I don't think
everyone could survive that kind
of pressure," says engineering
student Shraddha Shelar.
Almost echoing the voice of
Shraddha is Nisarg Rajesh, who
narrates an interesting incident.
"A couple of years ago, as a first
year engineering student, I was
chosen to be on the junior
editorial board of a youth
magazine for one special issue.
The other members (all college
students) and I were in a
briefing session with the
owners, when one of them
asked us about role models and
their influences. When I spoke
about Professor Noam Chomsky
of MIT in the US, everyone was
dumbfounded, including the
owner of the magazine! I
thought he was a pretty popular
guy, but I was in for a shock. The
others thought I was showing
off," he says.
The experiences go to evidence
that students do not have many
role models to look up to. "Most
children grow up wanting to be
like their parents, but once they
are in their teens and start
thinking for themselves, they
start seeing flaws in them. That's
when they need the support of a
role model and they do not know
where to look. Bollywood and
sports are easy, because of the
limelight. I know of a teenage
medical student whose role
model is Deepika Padukone, just
for the boy she has. The student
constantly starves herself to
attain that kind of a body!" says
counseling psychologist Chhaya
Sheth.
Sheth encourages parents and
educators to help students find
their role models by offering
them alternative information and
hope stories. Realistic hope
stories. "Discuss the non-reality
of films at home, and see the
difference. A student I was
seeing wanted to be Mrs Priya
Ram Kapoor from the popular
daily soap Bade Acche Lagte Hain.
We had to force her and her
family to stop viewing the soap
and work with the teenager to
understand the realities. She was
but 17!" she narrates.
Teachers can discuss leaders and
other personalities with their
students according to their
convenience and point them in a
direction for looking further.
Then, the appropriate role model
might just surface.
emotionally bankrupt, Priti
Botadkar finds out whether they
have any realistic role models to
look up to
An
advertising
teacher
recently
stopped
all
work
in
a
class
upon
a
comment
a student made, and asked them
to state their role models. Funnily
enough, most of them idolized
either film actors or sports
persons, or "rich businessmen".
All of these students are above
21 years of age, and yet the
choices are "juvenile" according
to the teacher, since the students
do not even know anything
about the lives of the people they
idolized.
"This generation is swept away
by fame and money. But fame
more than money. All they know
about the person they look up to
is that his or her picture is in the
papers every day and that he or
she is to die for'. That means he
or she looks good. That's the end
of the inspiration they draw from
their role models," says Rohini
Hemani, who is the teacher in
question.
It is a tough time that students,
teachers and parents have to
deal with, since the common
ground between idealism and
pragmatism is difficult to find. If
it is, by some miracle, found, then
it is difficult to tread upon. A
recent Gujarati play, Man Male Tya
Melo, explores this concept of
idealism, and questions whether
the idealistic knowledge should
be limited only to the books
published, since it does not help
a person earn a living. It thus
leaves the teachings of
Vivekanand and Gandhi in doubt.
"When I saw this play last week, I
was taken aback at all the
questions it raises very sensitive
issues, and then finally found
that the questions stay behind in
theatre when to stand up to get
out. Such is the way of life, if you
think much, it just results in a lot
of dissonance. It is much easier
to go home and root for Sachin
Tendulkar or Lionel Messi," says
FYBCom student Rehan Shah.
"The problem is that with any
person, there will be negatives
and positives. We are never
going to find an ideal' role model
for any student. And we cannot
blame only the students for their
ignorance. They need to be
pointed in the right direction, to
know whom to follow and
idolize and for what reason,"
says senior education researcher
and former professor, Dr
Shubhada Joglekar.
Peer pressure is a factor when
one is looking at role models. "I
remember the days when
Tendulkar was at his best, and I
used to admit to not liking him.
No particular reason. I was
looked upon as a traitor by my
friends, and I had to explain each
time why not. I don't think
everyone could survive that kind
of pressure," says engineering
student Shraddha Shelar.
Almost echoing the voice of
Shraddha is Nisarg Rajesh, who
narrates an interesting incident.
"A couple of years ago, as a first
year engineering student, I was
chosen to be on the junior
editorial board of a youth
magazine for one special issue.
The other members (all college
students) and I were in a
briefing session with the
owners, when one of them
asked us about role models and
their influences. When I spoke
about Professor Noam Chomsky
of MIT in the US, everyone was
dumbfounded, including the
owner of the magazine! I
thought he was a pretty popular
guy, but I was in for a shock. The
others thought I was showing
off," he says.
The experiences go to evidence
that students do not have many
role models to look up to. "Most
children grow up wanting to be
like their parents, but once they
are in their teens and start
thinking for themselves, they
start seeing flaws in them. That's
when they need the support of a
role model and they do not know
where to look. Bollywood and
sports are easy, because of the
limelight. I know of a teenage
medical student whose role
model is Deepika Padukone, just
for the boy she has. The student
constantly starves herself to
attain that kind of a body!" says
counseling psychologist Chhaya
Sheth.
Sheth encourages parents and
educators to help students find
their role models by offering
them alternative information and
hope stories. Realistic hope
stories. "Discuss the non-reality
of films at home, and see the
difference. A student I was
seeing wanted to be Mrs Priya
Ram Kapoor from the popular
daily soap Bade Acche Lagte Hain.
We had to force her and her
family to stop viewing the soap
and work with the teenager to
understand the realities. She was
but 17!" she narrates.
Teachers can discuss leaders and
other personalities with their
students according to their
convenience and point them in a
direction for looking further.
Then, the appropriate role model
might just surface.
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