Panel discussion Fear vs Freedom

The greatest legacy one can pass on to ones children and grandchildren are not money or other material things accumulated in life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.

-Billy Graham Red lies on the extreme ends of the emotional spectrum. On one end we have happiness, passion and freedom. At the far end, there is rage obsession, jealousy, danger, frustration and FEAR.

Our society of late, is laced with fear and the young feel that that this is treading upon their freedom. It is thus pertinent to brainstorm to find a way.

A panel discussion was held on 14th November 2017 at The Ardee School, from 3 to 5 pm. It was attended by educationists, parents and students. The discussion was moderated by the well known media personality Rahul Kanwal.

Ms. Susan Thomas, Academic Director of The Foundation School and Ms. Jigyasa Khokhar, Counsellor at The Indian School attended the event.

Some of the speakers were Ms. Aditi Chopra ( Microsoft), Ms. Ravina Kohli ( mediaperson ), Ms. Shefali Verma ( chairperson, The Ardee School), Dr. Roma Kumar ( clinical psychologist), Ms. Madhavi Goradia Divan (Lawyer, Supreme Court and Governing Board member, The Indian School) and Ms. C. Raisinghani ( President, The Ardee School).

The focal points of discussion included safety and security systems at schools including strict vigilance with the help of CCTV cameras and special alertness of school staff. The need to build a trust between teachers and parents is a necessity to restore the three pronged nurturing of the child especially, the emotional aspect.

What was also discussed was the legal aspect and voids in our legal system, where laws fail to get effectively applied. We discussed how digital media is playing a crucial role for children as they find it a companion in their loneliness.

Ms. Rahul Kanwal asked the opinion of student representatives present who spoke of peer pressure and pressure from parents which leads to frustration and thereby fear. The prospect of using digital cards for the safety of children was also discussed. Hereby, parents can track the whereabouts of their child.

The session concluded with a question and answer round. Gurudev Tagores timeless lines were read aloud to reaffirm the seeking of a world Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high..

Jigyasa Khokhar, School Counsellor.