Temples of learning in the national Capital are turning into theatres of violence. Figures at Delhi Police control room show that on an average they receive no less than 20 calls pertaining to fights breaking out inside or around schools involving hotheaded students and drop-outs.

Police officials said while majority of the cases are revenge attacks where students beat up a rival group, often with the help of outsiders, the incidents of school teachers coming under attack are also not uncommon. Poorly manned government schools are the worst affected.

Also Read: Delhi: School demands details of parents' phone brand, rent for nursery admissionsSETTLE SCORE

In the most recent case, on January 28, a group of anti-social elements muscled their way into a government boys school in Dilshad Garden, east Delhi, looking for a student to settle score. When Atul Kumar, a mathematics teacher at the school, tried to intervene and make a phone call, he was brutally attacked.

"Thankfully, a police team reached the school in good time to catch the assailants," said Kumar, injury marks visible on his face even one week after the incident. "Even though all of them, including a juvenile, were arrested, I still cannot recover from the trauma of being beaten up inside my own school."

Nupur Prasad, DCP (Shahdara district) told Mail Today: "Police have to handle such cases with extra precaution as we are not dealing with gangsters. Mostly, these are revenge attacks. However, in some cases it is seen that some of the delinquents take advantage of their age factor. It is surprising that they are well versed with legal clauses that can tip the scales in their favour."

Normally, police take help of expert counselors or childrenfriendly NGOs while dealing with such cases. "However, if a teacher is attacked, police take prompt action," Prasad said.

Also Read: Delhi Nursery admissions: HC to hear private minority schools case today

WHO TO BE BLAMED

Experts attribute the reasons for violent behaviour among students to bad parenting. "They are attaining knowledge from the internet world and it influences them to take revenge, said Rajiv Mehta, consulting psychiatrist at Sir Ganga Ram hospital. "The games, online world, television have become their guiding source. Parents are not paying attention towards the behavioural change and due to nuclear families, no elder member is ventilating the space."

Teachers often find themselves at a vulnerable point. "More than 70 percent of teachers are either humiliated or face violence at the hands of their students at least once in their career," said principal of a reputed government school, who did not wish to be named. Several teachers that Mail Today spoke with said over time a teacher either learns to become apathetic to their duties or remain under constant threat.

"In November, last year a senior teacher was slapped by an ex-student while he was taking the class. However, due to pressure from the school authorities, he could not take the case forward for any disciplinary action," a teacher at the government school in south-west Delhi said. "Due to the humiliation he had to face, he went on leave for a couple of weeks and when he resumed work his behaviour had changed." Police data shows that most of the incidents where teachers were attacked were reported from districts like Shahdara, Rohini, east Delhi, north-east Delhi and outer Delhi. To curb such incidents, senior police officials have been organising motivational lectures in the schools to divert students from becoming gullible.

NEED FOR COUNSELLING

"The students these days need counseling in the school itself. While some students have fear of law in them, there are many who would go to any length to settle scores," said a police officer who has handled several such cases.

Delhi-NCR has seen a rise in crime against teacher recently. In September last year, a government school teacher in Nangloi was stabbed to death allegedly by a group of his students. In December, 2016, a teacher of government school in Yamuna Vihar was attacked by an iron rod and blades while returning home from school.

Situation of female teachers is even worse than their male counterparts. In January this year, a 44-year-old senior government school teacher was confined inside a school washroom in Vivek Vihar for 15 minutes by an unidentified student, who demanded "sexual favour" from her on the pretext of releasing her.

Police officials said the crime trend suggests students take pride in carrying out organised attacks on their peers or seniors.