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Corporal punishment — an ugly mess
ANIRUDH GOVIND RAJAN
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It can have a disastrous impact on the self-esteem of a student and scar him or her for life
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In September 2007, a kindergarten girl in a west Delhi school was asked to strip in front of the class for not doing homework.In October, a schoolboy in Ahmedabad died after being made to run around the school ground for being late.
In November, a 14-year-old boy from an east Delhi school died after a spine injury inflicted when his teacher slapped him.
In December, a teacher in Bhusawal in Maharashtra was arrested for ‘disciplining’ students by giving electric shocks.
In March this year, a 15-year-old girl died in Delhi after battling for life for three months, all because her teacher beat her.
In August last year, an 11-year-old girl was physically tortured for not doing homework in Bangalore.
All these incidents have been reported in various media, both print and television. They are sure to send parents of school-going kids all over the country into a frenzy, especially since they come up with surprising regularity.
No longer valid
While the law of our land is clearly against corporal punishment, some teachers seem to have got it all wrong. They seem to have no notion of child rights and still seem to believe in old sayings such as ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child.’ Such statements no longer hold good.
Corporal punishment can have a disastrous impact on the self-esteem of a student and scar him or her for life, especially in the presence of peers. More often than not, beating on the back or the head has also led to complicated injuries and even death. At a time when there is a global cry against capital punishment even for heinous crimes, children dying due to corporal punishment for some small mistake is absurd, to say the least.
The punishments are usually for not doing homework, coming late, not answering a question, improper uniform, talking in class, etc. Do such trivial errors, which are a part of childhood, deserve such severe punishments?
Children are at a state where they can easily be counselled and taught that coming late, not doing homework, wearing improper uniform, talking, etc., are wrong and that they need to be regular and methodical. They also need to be given space to explain their position. There could be a genuine reason for a student turning up late or not doing homework. Maybe, he or she missed the school bus and was dropped in by a parent. Maybe, he or she couldn’t grasp the concepts fully.
However, there are times when children do mischief just for the sake of it. At such times, it is possible to punish them without causing unnecessary physical harm. They could be asked to stay in the class during a games period or finish the homework in this period. If a student is found talking, he or she could be asked to sit alone.
Every time some ugly incident involving corporal punishment occurs, parents of students mob the school premises and create a ruckus. The principal and teachers involved abscond and the school is sealed. After some time, everything seems to become normal and none of the accused gets exemplary punishment.
These cases must be actively pursued. Teachers must be sensitised to children’s needs. Surprise inspections must be conducted by authorities and errant teachers reined in. It would be unfair to blame the teaching community as a whole but the black sheep among them must be eliminated.
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