Two readers writing to the editor warn of urgent but different threats to future generations: one describes how repeated teacher criticism and school discipline can crush a child’s confidence and love of learning, and the other argues that armed conflict — not only industry — poses a serious, often overlooked threat to sustainable development and the climate.
A former student, who asked that her name be withheld, recalls being singled out and humiliated over minor uniform infractions — a skirt “two inches shorter” than required — and says such nitpicking pushed a classmate to beg her parents to leave the school. She cites repeated episodes of ridicule for her speech, walk, hair colour and classroom answers, even being forced to stand alone for an entire period and having correct work angrily marked wrong. The letter opens with a line from Ludwig van Beethoven — “Whoever feels the joy of music, let him treasure it; but let him not make it his one aim” — to underline how criticism can strip children of joy. The writer reports that, after COVID-19 remote learning relaxed some rules, the return to in-person classes brought back harsh reprimands that left parents in tears and students counting down the days until they could leave.
The student frames these actions as a form of bullying by adults: a culture of belittlement that favors “perfect” pupils while leaving quieter or struggling children behind. She asks whether a school’s reputation or rigid conformity is being valued over a child’s dignity, and calls for teachers to “nurture, not break” — offering empathy, patience and encouragement rather than constant public shaming. The letter argues that small acts of recognition could unlock talents now “boxed up” in silence and reduce the ranks, tiers and jealousy that often follow.
In a separate letter, Johan Keenan Thabah links sustainable development to the environmental costs of war. He stresses that armed conflict destroys infrastructure, contaminates water and soil, disrupts energy systems and can increase greenhouse-gas emissions through military operations and reconstruction. Using the Russia-Ukraine war as an example, he notes research indicating conflict can harm forests, air quality and public health while producing substantial emissions and toxic pollution risks.
Thabah urges that climate policy and development planning account not only for industrial emissions but also the environmental consequences of conflict. He highlights energy transition — expanding cleaner power generation to reduce reliance on polluting practices — and responsible trade policies as tools to protect water, land and forests and to promote greener production. His central point: sustainable development requires international cooperation, environmental regulation, cleaner energy systems and peace-oriented planning to safeguard long-term resilience.
Both letters converge on a common theme: protecting future generations requires changing institutions — schools and states alike — to prioritise human wellbeing and environmental security over rigid rules or short-term interests.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/07/04/beyond-the-uniform-a-cry-for-consideration/
Category: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Publish Date: 2026-07-04 01:20:00
