Novel ‘punishment’ that students enjoy

No more caning or beating, say the authorities at a school in Agra. But wait. You will still be pulled up - by being asked to do yoga!

No more caning or beating, say the authorities at a school in Agra. But wait. You will still be pulled up, though in a different way — by being asked to do yoga! An initiative of John Fareira, principal of the 166-year-old St Peter’s College, the

HT Image

Dandasana

package of yogic punishment includes postures such as

anulom vilom

,

pranayam

and

kapal bharti

.

When Fareira joined the school last year, the church authorities were reluctant to introduce yoga in the school as they thought it was a Hindu practice. But against all protests, Fareira made it compulsory for the 3,000 students of his institution to join his yoga exercises in the morning assembly.

He also rid the school canteen of all junk food and colas. Any student found creating trouble, or failing to do assignments and homework is ordered to perform yoga. Occasionally when the whole class is creating some trouble, they all have to do

pranayam

for 10 minutes. “Caning or beating children doesn’t really help these days,” says Fareira.