Surat: The unique disciplinary system in force in Vidhyakunj School, located in the Adajan area of Surat, has come to the fore. Students, as per information, are forced to drink neem juice if they commit common errors such as not wearing a uniform to school or not doing homework. The school, which operates following Gandhian doctrine, looks to instill values based on reformative actions, rather than physical punishment.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Mahesh Patel, Vidhyakunj Campus Director, Adajan Nagar, said that he wants to improve the health of his students as well as instill national pride in them. "We run the school with the belief that the school should function properly and earn money, but at the same time, it should inculcate in students sensitivity and proper values. If we provide punishment, it is done in a different way. The students are given neem juice, which is quite bitter but good for health, which makes them remember their mistakes but also improves their physical attributes."
Patel says due to his own education in a Gandhian 'pathshala' in the past, he likes to use the 'charkha' to spin threads and used it once to give students a lesson about loving one's own country. "I once tried to use the charkha for 51 hours in order to inculcate in their minds national pride and respect for the work the armed forces do.
Significantly, Patel said he was keen on disciplining himself before he set out imparting the same to the pupils. "Once, some students ruptured the toilet pipeline. I asked them who was behind this, but they said they did not know. I decided this was on me and stopped wearing any shoes for the next 15 days. Due to guilt, the concerned students eventually came to me and revealed themselves."
Prisha Rathore, a class 10 student of the institution who recently had the misfortune to drink neem juice, said it boosted her health and gave her an important lesson. "This is very good for health, and the kids too never make the same mistake twice. Discipline is primary in life, and lessons for the same are imparted by our teachers," she said.
