Shun corporal punishment

Under the RTE Act, impetus is given to bring every child under its fold to eradicate illiteracy.

But, has the government or the society made any attempt to know the plight of hapless, innocent children undergoing corporal punishment at the hands of some of the frustrated teachers who vent their anger on the students? Almost every school faces this malady and the parents and management of the school are merely mute spectators. Children are punished for the silliest of reasons. They are made to sit on the floor, kneel down, stand on the bench or stand out of the classroom for hours together. Many a time they are beaten with rulers, by hand or pulled by the ears or hair.

Added to that, they are threatened with dire consequences if they bring it to the notice of either the parents or the head of the school. Children are in a predicament whether to tell their parents or not, fearing that if the parents approach the school authorities, they will be in for further punishment. The parents too harbour a similar fear. Children either refuse to go to school or suffer silently with daily nightmares or are prone to severe psychological problems or psychosomatic ailments like bed-wetting, bronchitis, asthma or skin allergy. 

In addition, we frequently hear about cases of chil molestation even in schools. The end result of all this is the hatred and violence we encounter in the country, especially by the educated youth and their attitude towards their teachers. They feel that majority of the teachers has no commitment to the teaching profession. 

Contrary to the teachers of yester years who were revered by their disciples, many of the present day teachers are looked upon with disdain or ignored. The frequent incidents of shootings at school and college campuses in western countries is the result of  improper handling of the students during their schooling. Here in India too we have had such instances in the recent past.

There is an urgent need for remedial measures to be taken to put an end to this menace. First, the management of the school has to verify the credentials of every teacher at the time of their appointment and obtain the required experience and conduct certificates from those teachers who seek employment from other schools.They should conduct frequent meetings with parents and encourage them to bring any irregularities to their notice.

 In the event of inflicting corporal punishment on the children, they should seek written complaints from the aggrieved parents and conduct immediate enquiry. If found guilty, they must take appropriate action against the erring teachers. They should ensure that these students are not further targeted. If persistent harassment and targeting is continued, the matter should be brought to the notice of the child welfare department, education department and legal action has to be taken wherever necessary.

The Education Minister should issue directions to all the officials of the department of education, viz. the DDPI, BEO and other officials concerned to make periodic visits to every school under their jurisdiction and conduct meetings with parents and hear their grievances and take appropriate action against the teachers in cases of corporal punishment. The services of such teachers should be terminated forthwith. They must ensure that the victimised students are not targeted by the other teachers. The management should be made personally liable in these cases if the students are targeted. Teacher evaluation has to be conducted in every school by the officials of the education department to take the opinion of the students confidentially and without disclosing their identity.

It is also the duty of the parents to enquire regularly with their children about the happenings in the class and take them into confidence, so that in the event of any complaints from the children, they can be brought to the notice of the concerned authorities for necessary action.

There are many avenues for them to seek justice under law and they need not have any fear of any repercussions. The teachers and the school authorities are expected to treat children with dignity take utmost care of them. A school should not only be a citadel of learning, but also a home away from home.