NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Monday released guidelines to eliminate corporal punishment in schools. As per the guidelines, all schools should form Corporal Punishment Monitoring Cells and these cells should hear grievances related to corporal punishment, child sexual abuse, mental harassment and discrimination without delay and should forward recommendations to district-level authorities within 48 hours of occurrence.
The NCPCR, on its fifth foundation day on Monday, brought out the guidelines, after a detailed study, which was conducted in 2009-10 involving 6,632 children across seven states, revealed a shameful picture.
The survey revealed that the use of physical punishment was rampant in schools and cane beating by teachers was a common practice.
The guidelines suggested that school teachers should provide a written undertaking stating that they would not engage in any action that could be construed as amounting to physical punishment, mental harassment or discrimination.