Kerala’s CBSE Schools in 2025: A Principal’s Cry for Help

"We are not just running schools anymore; we are managing chaos."                                                                                                                       -Dr.K.S.Vinod

I walk through the corridors of my school every morning, watching hundreds of students pass by—some smiling, some lost in thought, and some carrying burdens far heavier than their school bags. Once upon a time, schools in Kerala were sanctuaries of learning and discipline. Today, they have become battlegrounds where principals, teachers, and parents struggle to control a generation slipping away.

The Collapse of Discipline: Schools Are No Longer Schools

In 2025, enforcing discipline in a CBSE school in Kerala is an impossible task. The moment we try to instil order, we are labelled as outdated, oppressive, or too strict. Parents demand that their children be treated gently, students challenge every rule, and society watches from the sidelines, ready to judge us.

Students roam the corridors during class hours, pretending to go to the washroom but actually simply roaming here and there. They sit in classrooms, physically present but mentally absent, their minds trapped in the digital universe of reels, chats, and gaming addiction. If we confiscate their phones, we are met with threats—sometimes from the students, sometimes from their parents.

Teachers fear taking strong action, knowing that one complaint can turn into a social media outrage, with parents calling us to "understand" their child’s behaviour instead of correcting it. The school management expects high academic results, but how can we produce them when students refuse to listen, refuse to respect, refuse to learn?

A Generation Trapped in Relationship Dramas

I see 13-year-olds whispering in the corridors, 15-year-olds crying over breakups, and 17-year-olds making life-altering decisions in the name of love. School romances have always existed, but today, they have turned into an uncontrollable storm.

What was once innocent admiration has now become an obsession. Students are more invested in their relationships than in their future. Heartbreaks lead to depression, aggression, and, in some cases, extreme actions. While discussing with many school principals, I came to know that, We have students who refuse to write their exams because their partner left them, students who break school property in frustration, and students who bring personal fights into the classroom, disrupting learning for everyone. Yesterday, I came to know that after the main Board exam, students of two different school fought each other in the school just after the exams for a matter related to love. Counselling sessions are filled with students who say they "cannot live" without someone they started talking to just a few months ago. The emotional maturity to handle relationships is missing, yet the impact of failed relationships is severe. Schools are supposed to prepare students for life, but instead, we are forced to act as mediators in their personal dramas.

The Silent Invasion of Drugs

The biggest fear of any school leader today is that the corridors of education may turn into breeding grounds for addiction. We hear whispers of students experimenting with substances, and sometimes we see the devastating effects firsthand. The problem is no longer confined to college students or those from troubled backgrounds—drug abuse is creeping into school life, affecting children from well-off families, from good homes, from our own classrooms and no partiality whether it’s a boy or a girl. I heard from many school principals that they have caught students bringing drug like substances to school, hiding them in their bags, sharing them with friends, even selling them. When calling their parents, we are met with disbelief. “Not my child,” they say. But it is happening. It is real. And we are struggling to fight it alone.

The Attitude Crisis: Entitlement Over Effort

More than ever before, I see a dangerous shift in student attitudes. Hard work is no longer respected. Effort is seen as unnecessary. Many students believe that they deserve success without putting in the work. If they fail, the school is blamed. If they are punished, the teacher is accused of being unfair.We live in a time where a teacher cannot even raise their voice without fear of facing consequences. Students accuse teachers, twist narratives, and spread misinformation online. They challenge rules openly, knowing that they have the support of parents who are too quick to protect and too slow to correct.

Once, students respected teachers as second parents. Today, many treat us as mere service providers. The sacred bond between teacher and student is fading, replaced by a cold, transactional relationship where respect must be begged for, not given freely.

Parents: Partners or Opponents?

There was a time when parents and schools worked together to raise responsible citizens. That unity is broken.

Now, if a student is punished, the parent storms into the office, demanding explanations. If a teacher scolds a child, there is immediate backlash. Parents refuse to believe their children can be wrong. They argue, defend, and, in some cases, threaten legal action.

We want to discipline, to correct, to guide—but how can we, when the very people who should support us are the first to attack us? Schools are not just responsible for teaching subjects; we are now expected to raise children while parents watch from a distance, interfering only when they feel their child is being "mistreated."

What Must Change?

We are at a breaking point. Kerala’s education system is known for its excellence, but we are slowly losing everything that made it strong. If we do not act now, we will produce a generation that lacks discipline, accountability, and emotional strength.

We need:• Strict Discipline Policies – Schools must have the power to enforce discipline without fear of backlash. Rules must be respected, and consequences must be real.

• Parental Accountability – Parents must take responsibility for their children’s actions. Schools cannot raise children alone.

• Digital Detox in Schools – Strict policies on mobile phone use must be enforced. Let students experience real learning without the distraction of social media.

• Counselling for Emotional Maturity – Relationship issues cannot be ignored. Need dedicated counselling programs to help students develop emotional intelligence.

• Zero Tolerance for Drugs – Schools must work with law enforcement and the community to keep drugs out. Every school should have random checks and strict anti-drug policies.

• Teacher Empowerment – Teachers must be given the authority to maintain discipline without fear of social media trials or parental interference.

A Principal’s Last Hope

Despite all these challenges, I still wake up every morning with a purpose. I still believe in the power of education. But hope alone is not enough. We need action. We need courage.

We are raising the future of Kerala. But what kind of future are we shaping? A generation that cannot handle failure, cannot focus, cannot respect, cannot control their emotions?

If we do not fix this now, if we do not restore discipline, values, and accountability, we will look back one day and realize that we did not educate—we merely watched as a generation slipped away.

It is time to save our schools. Before it is too late.

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