Parent Teachers Meeting at Delhi University Proposed

According to an article titled “PTMs in DU: Hello, Military Camp!” dated Oct. 2 in Delhi University’s student newspaper, DU Beat, the DU administration has proposed to form a  “Parents Coordination Committee” to allegedly act as “mediators” between teachers and their college-going children.

Again, according to DU Beat, this implies that if the committee is formed, Parent Teachers Meetings (PTM) will also become a reality.

As a Phd student I’ve spent many years studying in a university, and during my years as a student, I’ve heard many ridiculous ideas being proposed by university authorities. For instance, sending letters to your parents if you’re short on attendance. Oh wait, that’s not just an idea, it is actually being practiced at Jamia. My bad; never mind the example.

But what I’m trying to say is: never have I heard anything more preposterous than parent teachers meeting at a college.

The sheer idea is so ridiculous that I would not have believed it if I hadn’t read it in a newspaper.

Though the idea may sound like the product of a demented mind, it actually says something about our “Indian” culture.

Only in a culture where parents mollycoddle their children till they die, can such an idea even be considered by a rational thinking adult.

Only in a culture where students at a university are required to get legal affidavits from their parents taking responsibility for their children’s actions while attending college, can such an idea as insane as this be taken seriously.

Only in a culture where parents have total control over their children’s choice for a spouse, can such an asinine idea ever be entertained.

DU students are naturally outraged by the proposal. It is unthinkable for them to take their parents to meet their teachers to get a progress report from them.

DU students have my complete sympathies.