Despite a ban on corporal punishment in schools, complaints by parents against teachers using force continue in the State. In a recent incident in Tirunelveli district the police registered a case against a schoolteacher for allegedly caning a Class 7 student, injuring the boy’s right eye. Coimbatore saw parents beating up a PET teacher last week for allegedly thrashing a child.
Though punishments like caning, forceful sit ups and being made to stand for long hours are believed to be for the betterment of students, there are many cases of grave error on the side of schools and teachers. Experts say teachers should control emotional outbursts and cannot take children for granted.
It is essential for teachers to attend workshops and learn the difference between child abuse and discipline, they say.
“We need a change in the approach of teachers. They believe that they are in full charge of the moral, physical and mental development of children. They also feel that parents don’t know anything about the curriculum. Work stress, time constraints and management pressure for results are other causes of emotional outbursts,” said Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System.
He said that there should be a change in the curriculum of Teacher Training Institutes (TTI) and BEd courses. “Teachers should be made to read the educational thoughts of Ambedkar, Gandhiji and Tagore. A reading workshop on this by Tamil Nadu Science Forum held at Erode was a huge success. Thoughts of alternative education should be spread,” he said.
Reiterating that caste discrimination, abusive language and even comparison with others is tantamount to corporal punishment, Shikha Hundal, technical expert, RTE division, National Council of Protection of Child Rights said sensitising children was the need of the hour. “Children need to be taught that care and abuse are different. Providing children an opportunity to explain, arriving at a consensus with them on expected behaviour, ignoring minor incidents or lapses may help in positive engagement with children,” she said.
A section of parents, however, feel that it is always good for teachers to have a check on the students as the fear factor may restrain them from wrong doing.