The Hindu : Front Page : Rosaiah comes down heavily on corporal punishment

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Monday, Oct 11, 2010
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Rosaiah comes down heavily on corporal punishment

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Sunday came down heavily on corporal punishment and asserted that no parent or teacher had the right to take to the stick against children in the name of instilling discipline.

Mr. Rosaiah recalled how in the olden days teachers used to be held in high esteem and regretted that over the years students showed ‘little' respect towards their teachers.

He said it was imperative that reforms were carried out in the field of education without any loss of time.

At a panel discussion on ‘Corporal punishment' organised by the television channel HMTV and the Mamidipudi Venkatrangaiah Foundation, the Chief Minister termed as ‘disturbing' media reports of a student suffering fractures of the limbs, following an assault by a teacher.

“I am not for physical punishment at all and firmly believe that a teacher should be able to control students and instil discipline just with his/her expression,” he emphasised.

Violence decried

Well-known educationist and MLC Chukka Ramaiah observed that transformation of a student was more important than mere transmission of information. “

We need to do our job with love rather than through violence against children,” he said. Discipline and punishment were two different things that did not go hand in hand.

“The dialogue between the teacher and the taught is education,” he said.

The meeting adopted ‘Jubilee Hall Declaration' making it clear that resorting to corporal punishment was liable for prosecution by law and all Government and private school managements were duty-bound to protect child rights.

Among the participants in the panel discussion were Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandeswari, Secondary Education Minister D. Manikya Vara Prasad, Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Shanta Sinha.

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