Spare the rod and help the child grow

  Corporal punishment in government schools defeats the purpose of education, causing children to drop out There is a lack of accountability towards children in government schools, and that allows teachers to make use of corporal punishment. Also, due to lack of trained teachers, the number of students al- lotted to each teacher is overwhelming.

  Sheja Ehtesham

T HE UNITED Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is one of the rare conven tions that, due to its universal appeal, has been almost unanimously ratified by all nations worldwide.

Education is one of the important concerns dealt with extensively in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it emphasises the need to respect the human dignity of the child: "State parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity and in conformity with the present Convention."

The Government of India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1992. This ratification implies that the Government is under an obligation to review and amend all legislations, policies and schemes to meet the standards set in the Convention. Inherent in this commitment is also an obligation to review the manner in which the existing laws are implemented.

However, corporal punishment is an everyday phenomenon in India, particularly in government schools. Children in several schools in India have reported that the teachers regularly hit them hard with their hand or a ruler, pinch them or make them stand or kneel outside the classroom. A study conducted with support from UNICEF revealed that a high percentage of children in Maharashtra reported that their teacher regularly hit them in class; the figure for Tamil Nadu was even higher. The prevalence of corporal punishment against children in ru ral schools was found to be similar.

Unfortunately, in government schools, corporal punishment is deemed as an indispensable means to instill discipline in children. There are a variety of reasons behind this assumption. Firstly, there is a lack of accountability towards children, and that contributes to violence in schools and allows the teachers to make use of corporal punishment. Also, due to the lack of trained teachers, the number of students allotted to each teacher is overwhelming. The inade quate infrastructure and insufficient learning tools in government schools further contribute to the stress levels of teachers, which subsequently lead them to frequently resort to corporal punishment. Another secondary factor is that since government schools cater to the poorer sections of society. The children who attend these schools frequently face violence at home as well. Hence the immorality of the act of hitting them would seem to be of a lesser magnitude, since these children "are beaten up at home anyway".

The effect corporal punishment has on children is devas tating, not only to the child itself, but to society as well. On the child itself, some of the effects are: ¦ Physical pain, injury and in some cases permanent disability and even death. ¦ Humiliation, anger, vindictiveness that may have long-term psychological effects. ¦ The child's sense of worth is severely damaged, which makes him more vulnerable to depression ¦ Child abuse and physical violence in the early years contribute significantly to a higher risk of children turning violent themselves, as they learn that violence is acceptable behaviour. ¦ Sometimes the child may not clearly understand the reason for the punishment, or the punishment is inconsistently given. In these cases, corporal punishment can lead to passivity or strong feelings of helplessness.

Apart from these disturbing effects on the child itself, children who witness fellow students being beaten and humiliated by teachers are emotionally affected as well.

Socially, a consequence of cor poral punishment is that it leads to a fear of the teacher and the school, causing children to drop out of school. Unfortunately, most parents of these children are not averse to the idea of the children absenting themselves from school, as it then provides them with an extra source of income.

The magnitude of the problem is larger than what immediately seems apparent. Illiteracy and all related issues such as unemployment and poverty are extremely serious issues for a country like ours. Hence, any factor that has an impact on the literacy levels of our country warrants detailed investigation.

According to Maslow, an eminent psychologist, there exists a hierarchy of needs.

One level needs to be fulfilled to reach the other. The topmost level, which symbolises holistic and healthy development, is Self-actualisation. Only a handful of individuals accomplish the final level. Most individuals attain and then remain on the third or fourth level. In this hierarchy, the first two levels, that is, the need for physiological fulfillment and safety, are alpha or primary needs. The third and fourth levels are secondary needs. Unless the two primary needs, the need for physiological fulfillment and the need for safety and security, is fulfilled one cannot possibly grow, and there is an absence of the capacity to expand one's capabilities and improve one's present circumstances. This hypothesis derives support from Henry Shue in Basic Rights Subsistence, Affluence and US Foreign Policy (1980), where he puts forth a similar argument, wherein he says that subsistence and security are both basic needs.

When seen in the context of government schools, the mid-day meals scheme is an excellent initiative made by the government in order to ensure the first (and according to Maslow, most basic) need, that is physiological fulfillment. Also, it acts as an incentive for parents to send their children to school, there being one less mouth to feed.

However, the prevalence of corporal punishment does not allow students to climb to the second level of growth. In spite of the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the government has failed to ensure the primary need for the child to feel safe and secure in the school-environment. What needs to be appreciated is that in order to ensure results, both the primary needs have to be guaranteed.

What are the solutions?

The first step that needs to be taken is to bring corporal punishment in schools, under the Indian Penal Code. Currently, there is no national law prohibiting corporal punishment in schools. Also, the implementation of the law has been very half hearted, even in those states where corporal punishment has been banned.

A child cannot possibly strive for higher goals in life without having his primary needs fulfilled. Growth is seen as a function of the fulfillment of the primary needs and refers to the capability of an individual to rise above his present situation. Unemployment is a direct consequence of illiteracy, and hence an illiterate has no means to combat poverty. This corresponds to Amartya Sen's theory of capability expansion, according to which poverty is seen in the light of one's capacity to expand one's capability: "The ‘capability approach' sees human life as a set of ‘doings and beings' - we may call them ‘functionings' - and it relates the evaluation of the quality of life to the assessment of the capability to function." Therefore a clear pattern emerges. Corporal punishment discourages attendance and consequently leads to a lack of education and literacy, hindering socio-economic growth. It is therefore absolutely crucial to ensure a secure environment for children in schools.

Sheja Ehtesham teaches at NALSAR University of Law

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