Corporal punishment still prevalent in schools

Corporal punishment is still prevalent in schools despite guidelines to eliminate it and is responsible for dropouts and violence in society, a central commission looking into implementation of RTE in schools has found.
"We have issued guidelines for elimination of corporal punishment. We are still facing this problem in schools and I would like to reiterate the stand of our Commission that corporal punishment lays the foundation for violence in society," said chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Kushal Singh.
Speaking at the launch of a package prepared by UNICEF to make schools child-friendly and ensure right-based quality education, she said studies have shown that children also dropout of schools because of the fear of corporal punishment.

"When the child receives the fist slap, I do not know what the parent or the teacher want to teach the child. But the child definitely learns one lesson, that the stronger person can force the weaker to do what they want. And this value system the child imbibes from beating," she said.
While Right To Education (RTE) Act was a great leap forward in improving standard of education in the country, NCPCR was "disappointed" at the level of implementation of the Act.
She said 49 per cent of the children still dropout from schools before before completing Class VIII.

Citing a study, she said most of the children dropout because of the school environment.

"They point out that teachers seems to favour the good student, and the average are neglected in school and becomes disinterested and leave the school environment. School environment has to promote the average child also," she said.
On the occasion, a UNICEF package was launched by celebrity advocate Kareena Kapoor.
"It is a docket that includes guideline principles to help education planners on components for child friendly teaching and learning in schools environment, in terms of community environment and community participation. Those principles have been developed in association with HRD Ministry," said Urmilla Sarkar of UNICEF.

It also contains 27 evidence-based case studies where schools are functioning well such as integrated hygiene programmes. It also includes a DVD of 10 illustrative videos of child-friendly schools, she said.
The package will be presented in October at the meet of the state education secretaries here to discuss implementation of Sarva Sikshaya Abhiyan programme.