Corpal Punishments An Offensive Violence
(SALWA AZIM, KARACHI)
SAY GOOD-BAY TO CORPAL PUNISHMENT
Corporal punishment in school refers to disciplinary action that is physical in nature and delivered by teachers or school administrators as punishment for some type of student misbehavior. The corporal punishment might be applied in the classroom in front of other students or privately in the principal's office. Though some abhor the use of corporal punishment in schools, there are still many people who believe that corporal punishment has a rightful place in the educational system. Corporal punishment is an offensive act in terms of physical torture. Yet, there are still some schools that are practicing it. In my view, corporal punishment can not be a proper way to discipline children. Punishing children in schools may lead to resentment and fear against teachers and also they may become misfit later in the society. Discipline is a must for students in schools and colleges. However enforcing it though corporal punishment is highly objectionable and rather in human. This kind of punishment was generally practiced during the medieval period, and is now outdated. Moreover this is not the right procedure or technique to discipline a student. Teachers should realize that children at the school level are at an impressionable age. If they are subjected to such kind of physical torture, they may develop a fear to approach or meet a teacher, or even attend school. They will never respect and love their teachers which is very essential for the overall development of student personality .In Pakistan corpal punishment in school, collage , madrasas is still a tradition. “In our school, physical punishment is a routine matter and almost every teacher punishes students in different ways.
The psychologist said teachers must do proper counseling of students to overcome their weaknesses and develop their interest through alternate methods instead of punishing them with sticks.
“Corporal punishment suppresses students throughout their life,”
Due to a number of instances of teachers administering corporal punishment to students coming into the public limelight over the last few years,
On February 2017 SINDH ASSEMBLY passed the bill to ban corpal punishment for children in Pakistan. The bill has declared any form of corporal punishment of children in academic institutions illegal .This is the good step taken by government to stop corpal punishment.
It is time that we, as a nation, understood that enforcing respect through violence and fear is an unethical and ultimately futile strategy that has only been affecting our children and their mental and physical well-being adversely.