WELCOME 2013

Talk by Sr  Sergius on Chavara Day

Golden Jubilee Wishes....

CHRISTMAS DAY CELEBRATION 

(2012-2013)

CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL MATHEMATICS YEAR

TALENT FEST 2012-2013

 

REPORTOF THE INTER COLLEGIATE DEBATE COMPETITION ON HUMAN  RIGHTS HELD ON 10th DECEMBER 2012

 Human rights are commonly understood as "inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal  and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national and international law. The doctrine of human rights in international practice, within international law, global and regional institutions, in the policies of states and in the activities of non-governmental organizations, has been a cornerstone of public policy around the world.
In accordance with the International Human Rights Day being celebrated on the 10th of December 2012,  ‘ MANAV AVAKASH’,  an Intercollegiate Debate Competition was jointly organized by the Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation for Educational Research an Development (SPFERD) and St. Joseph College of Teacher Education for Women in collaboration with the Council for Teacher Education (CTE), Kerala State Centre, International Association of Education for World Peace (IAEWP). Kerala Chapter and Indian Adult Education Association (IAEA), Kerala Chapter.

INAUGURAL SESSION

The introductory session was blessed with the presence of certain luminaries of the society. The programme commenced with rendition to Almighty at 9 45 AM. The Welcome address was given by Rev Sr. Dr. Mary Joseph, Principal, St. Joseph College of Teacher Education for Women. The President of the ceremony was Mr. A Prabhakaran, the chairman of SPFERD. He gave a wide description about the working field of the association and the importance of honoring Human rights. He also briefly described about the violations happening in the society.

Justice K Narayana Kurup, author of several landmark public interest judgements which has been universally hailed, including the classic and path breaking verdict banning smoking in public places and the recipient of many honours and awards, was the Chief Guest of the day and inaugurated the function.  A brief presentation on his life and achievements was given.  He expressed his anxieties by mentioning how the right to use water, air, environment and basic utilities were being violated today. He focused mainly on implementing the laws to protect human rights in public places and shared his career experiences too. He was honoured by the SPFERD for his achievements.

On this occasion, Sr. Grace Maria, an M.Ed student of St.Joseph College of Teacher Education for Women was honoured by the college in recognition of her being selected as  one of the 5 best teachers by the UN for her work among the tribal students in Wayanad. She retained the hardships and troubles while searching alternatives to uplift the backwards.

St Joseph College  Manager Rev . Sr. Dr Tessy Kurian delivered the keynote address. . She shared her experience as a hostel warden and urged the student teachers to react against the violation of their rights. As a representative of the Parents Teachers Association, Mr. KG Mathai spoke a few effective words about the human rights violations happening in everyday life.  The Vote of Thanks was conveyed by Ms Bindu Joseph, Assistant Prof, St. Joseph College of Teacher Education for Women. The Morning session was dispersed for the debate competition at 11.10AM.

DEBATE COMPETITION

The debate competition started at 11.30 AM with the Prominent Personalities as jury members.
Prof. Leelama Jose, Retd . Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science Maharaja’s College Ernakulam is a social activist and a regular columnist is publications like the ‘Deepika’,’Sathyadeepam etc. She is an active member of the Chavara Cultural Centre too.
Adv. Anil Kumar K. N  Pillai is currently practicing as an advocate at  the High Court of Kerala.  He has worked as a resource person in the Ministry of Education in Sultanate Of Oman. He has also worked as a Resource Person under UNESCO project in North East Africa.  In addition to these activities he is  conducting  legal awareness classes for Professional and Arts and Science Colleges in Kerala.
Adv.JithinPaul Varghese, a practicing advocate in Kochi  was awarded with the prestigious V.R Krishnaiyer gold medal for excellence in constitutional law. He headed the Right to Information campaign launched by the Center for Public Policy Research (CPPR) and also associates with ADR Center, which is an initiative of CPPR. He has represented India in Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition held at Florida, USA in Nov 2008.
The Following Eleven Colleges participated in the debate competition:
1. Indira Gandhi Training College , Nellikuzhi
2. Avila College of Education, Edacochin
3. St.Joseph College of Teacher Education for Women, Ernakulam
4. MES Training College , Edathala
5. St. Peters Training  College ,Kolenchery
6. PIZ Training College, Puthencruz
7. SNM training college ,  Moothakunnam
8. National  College of Education, Vengola
9. Holy Crescent College of Education, South Vazhakkulam
10. UCTE, Muvattupuzha
11. S.N Training College ,Okkal

DEBATE REPORT

TOPIC 

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BY PARENTS AND TEACHERS – IS IT A VIOLATION OF THE CHILD’S HUMAN RIGHTS?

The competition started at 11.30 AM. For each team 10 minutes were given for their preparation and again 10 minutes for the presentation of the debate.
Team 101 began the debate, with the orator asserting that corporal punishments were a violation of the child’s human rights. It does not matter whether it is the parent or the teacher who does it, when punishing them physically, you are violating their rights. The teacher and the parents should be friends who correct and guide children to follow the right path. They should be able to nourish them and create a good relationship with the children. Only then will we be able to mould productive members of the society, the debater of the team refuted this claim by saying that love and patience alone was not sufficient for behavior modification. Each individual is different. While some need love, others need strict rules and punishments to survive. Mental aid and punishment is necessary. Punishment and Rewards are two sides of the same coin. When children exhibit wayward behavior one might have to resort to corporal punishment to keep them from straying onto the wrong path. School is his second family so he should be taught to differentiate what is right and wrong from his family itself.
The orator of TEAM 102 started the debate by commenting on the Norway incident that is being discussed in the papers today.  He said that punishments would have a negative effect on the mental and psychological growth of the child. |Fear is created in the minds of the children, He quoted Khalil Gibran’s words and said that though children came through parents, they were not the property of the parents and therefore you could not cause any harm to it. He said that dictators like Hitler and Mussolini were products of the punishments they had to suffer through when they were children. The debater of the same team took a stand against this by trying to assert that it is the child that is the future citizen. It is our duty to make sure that he he/she grows up into responsible citizens. Punishment is required to enforce order. Citing the Norway incident, he said that by imprisoning the parents, we were denying the child’s right to live with the parents. He asked whether it was a human rights violation or not. Family is the base of society. I f you do not learn what is right or wrong, you will fail.  A child without punishment is like a horse without any control. I t will not reach its destination.   It will wander here and there and become a wild horse. If this happens to our children our country will perish.
Team 103 saw its orator giving us a brief insight into what human rights were and how we were losing them. According to him/her, corporal punishments curbed individual development and growth. A teacher or a parent should be a loving facilitator or guide and not a taskmaster. No criminal is born as a criminal. It is the society that creates them. Without love; they will grow up into harmful elements. All religions recommend  love as a means of control. Never has punishment be seen as a mode of control as our elders knew that punishment could negatively affect the child\d mental ability.  The debater here stated his side with the concept of Gurukula’s.He argued that under the strict guidance of the Guru, the child had the potential to become a successful person later on. He said that the morals of today’s youth were spiraling down. With nuclear families, they were becoming selfish and refused to cooperate with anyone. He should be able to differentiate between right and wrong. Teacher or the parent knows what is best for the child. He might need some punishment to stay on the right path.
Team 104 had its orator beginning his side by stating that the child who had to suffered a lot in the Norway incident would be scared for his life. Similarly all children who have received punishment of one sort or the other will always be scarred and their individuality stunted. When parents and teachers scare them and beat them, they lose their confidence too. Instead, parents and teachers should be loving guides to the children.  The debater began by saying that children today had no morals. They do not respect their elders.  This is because punishment is have become very rare .Parents are not hurting the child and they are showing the children the right path. Children might not know what is right and wrong. But the parents have had experiences and will be able to guide them.
Team 105 began the debate by saying that children were God’s creations and that we could not physically hurt them.  Children too have their rights. They have the right to rest and to be entertained. Citing the Norway episode, she said that one could not a fathom how people could behave in such a despicable manner. Education should be a positive influence  and not a negative one. Scolding and beating will turn children into rebels and more Ajmal Kasabs will be produced. No man is born bad. It is the society that makes him bad. Make the students aware of their rights and let them be creative citizens of tomorrow. The debater argued that there were equal rights for everyone. The influence of the Internet and other technological advancements have misled today’s generation. They need a firm hand to save them from being a prey to the world of errors. He does not know what is right and wrong..  Students should be taught values and for this education punishment is required.  It is a value being taught and not human rights violation.
The orator of Team 106 began by asking the teachers and the parents to take a pledge that they would not physically hurt their children, let them grow with love all around. Whereas, the debater cited the Norway episode and the Indian government’s reaction to the same. He said that the cultural aspect was very valid. We who have been nurtured through the Gurukula system knew the importance of punishment and reward.  Punishment is required to guide him and develop his character.
Team 107 argued that corporal punishment curbed one’s individuality. Our constitution guarantees us freedom to live equally. We should not deny our children the same. They should not grow up as scared children. They should be aware of their rights.  He should not be crushed by his teachers and pressure should not be exerted on him. The debater argued that there was no human right violation involved as nowhere was corporal punishment being practiced. Today the atmosphere has changed. No school or parent punishes the child. So there is no violation of human rights taking place.
The orator of Team 8 said that children should be protected. She said that it is compulsive education that is being followed. Irrespective of who does it, children’s rights are being violated everywhere. Neither the parents or the teachers have time to love, they simply are slave drivers. But the debater argued that all of us have received small punishments. This has not spoiled us. Instead, it has lead to a lot of character moulding. We are punished so that we do not commit the errors again. To correct them is not a violation of rights.
The orator of Team 9 argued that punishments curbed the growth of a child’s individuality. Punishment does not affect anyone positively. It creates negative vibes in the child. While the debater of the same team focused on the Gurukulam System that was followed in India. It was argued that no child has been affected negatively due to moderate physical punishment.  This is imprinted in our culture. What is followed in other European countries is their culture. For a society to be disciplined, one requires punishment. Advice alone will never help.
The orator of team 110 stayed away from the topic and spoke about how the parents had no time for the children and how this led to their isolation. He said that this would lead to an increase in the influence of the peer group on the students.  The debater of the same team argued that the child had a right to live happily. It was his right to live with his parents. Parents should give them right education. Punishment is a part of this. Family should be the source of information and not the peer groups
The orator in 111 argued that it was the right of the child to rest, play and learn, but corporal punishment was a violation of his/her rights. It will stunt the growth of the child and result is loss of his confidence. You should spare the rod and give good advice. Let him learn through his errors what is right and wrong. Parents and teachers should become role models and not hurt children. The debater argued that the parents want to shape their child’s character. They want the best. Self control and corporal punishment is required to have a control over his errors. Imagine the pressure on the parents if they cannot correct their child’s mistakes. Small punishments will not hamper his growth. Instead it will only make him shine later. If we do not correct and punish them at an early age, they will not be able to handle failures and punishments once they mature. This will lead to conditions like mental illness and even suicides. So it is advised  that you not spare the rod.

EVALUATION BY THE JUDGES

After the completion of the arguments presented by 11 team members, judges gave a feed back on the competition .Prof Leelamma Jose commented that the language used by the participants was not up to the expected mark. The thoughts were presented in a vague way. And also the participants were deviated from the roles assigned to them.
Advocate Anilkumar suggested to cover arguments as many as possible within the stipulated time then going to the depth of a single argument .Adv Jithin Paul Varghese concluded by advising the participants to remember the milestone years of the past and make them up to date with the currents events.
Prof Leelamma Jose declared the results of the competition. The Jury congratulated the winners and the session dispersed for lunch break at 2.30 PM. It was the pleasure of the college to be with the esteemed presence of these personalities.

VALEDICTORY FUNCTION

 The Valedictory function of “Manav Avakash” began at 3.00 pm in the college auditorium. Rev.Sr.Dr.Rosamma Lukose, Vice Principal , St.Joseph’s college of Teacher Education for Women, welcomed the gathering. In the presidential address, Rev  Sr.Dr.Mary Joseph, Principal,  St.Joseph’s College of Teacher Education for Women, expressed her feelings of jubilation over the success of the event and appreciated the strenuous endeavor of the Co-cordinator and the entire staff. She also congratulated the winners. Dr.VM Sasikumar, State Chancellor, IAEWP & Executive director, SPFERD , gave a brief description about Dr.TR Sivapalan Unnithan, Dr.K.Sivadasan Pillai and Dr.N.D Joshy. He also congratulated the winners. Sr.Dr.Rosamma Lukose, Sr.Dr.Mary Joseph  and Dr.VM Sivakumar presented the participation certificates to the participants from 11 teacher education colleges in Ernakulam district. Dr. VM Sivakumar and Sr.Dr. Mary Joseph presented Dr.Sivapalan Unnithan Rolling Trophy for the runner up, St.Joseph’s College of Teacher Education for Women represented by Jishamol PK and Tanya john  and for the Winner S.N Training College, Okkal which was represented by Rincy Rose Michael and Silpa Sreenivasan . Dr.K.Sivadasan Pillai and Dr.N.D Joshy Memorial Trophy for the best male debator was presented by Dr.VM Sasikumar to Mr. Shahul Hameed CM from Indira Gandhi College , Nellikuzhi. Ms.  Silpa Sreenivasan, S.N Training college Okkal, was selected as the best debator. Dr . Hemaletha PK, Assistant Professor of St.Joseph Teacher Education for women and the Co-ordinator of the Programme, proposed the vote of thanks. She  extended her gratitude to all who have contributed with their constructive suggestions to make the function a great success. The programmme came to an end at  3.45 pm  with the National Anthem.

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