Leaders and activists from the United Forum of People's Organizations have urged society not to treat students as mere mark-scoring machines and to prevent incidents like the recent attack on a teacher in Visakhapatnam from recurring.

At a round-table discussion held at SV Engineering College on Friday, April 25, titled, "Students - Mark Machines - Values-", forum leader B Lakshmi Raja strongly condemned the incident where a student attacked a female lecturer with a slipper at an engineering college in Visakhapatnam, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

Speaking on the occasion, B Lakshmi Raja and college principal Veera Sudarshan Reddy emphasised the need for a collective responsibility from parents, society, and educators to ensure such violence does not repeat.

They asserted that reducing students to machines focused only on grades serves no real benefit to the nation or society.

They urged for a shift in educational focus, highlighting the importance of value education and moral development. The speakers called for appointing psychologists at all levels, from high school to engineering and medical colleges, to monitor and guide students' emotional and psychological development.

"It is an undeniable truth that teachers work tirelessly for students' progress, right after their parents," they said.

However, they expressed concern over the growing trend of parents intervening and even attacking teachers over minor disciplinary actions, which they believe erodes the foundation of society.

The forum criticised the intense academic pressure parents put on children by constantly comparing their grades with those of others. They also pointed out the lack of moral stories, value periods, and practical life lessons in today's curriculum as a serious flaw in the current education system.

They reaffirmed that teachers harbor no hostility toward students and only aim to guide them on the right path. For this, they called on families and institutions to nurture students with respect for elders and teachers, instilling values from a young age.