Daily Times

A landmark win for child welfare foresaw the introduction of a ban on corporal punishment last year, imposing penalties on educators, caregivers and other perpetrators for exercising any form of physical violence to punish their students. However, it is evident that legislative efforts alone cannot effectively address a problem that finds its roots in socio-cultural norms that are entangled in a tradition of violence.

Just yesterday, a private school in Karachi was suspended when an elementary school student fractured his elbow as a result of corporal punishment. It is unclear just how pervasive corporal punishment is in Pakistan due to a lack of reliable data but it is safe to assume that the practice is widespread in public schools where children simply don’t know what they’re entitled to.

Despite abundant evidence that corporal punishment is detrimental to a productive learning environment, the practice continues to be prevalent in many countries, including Pakistan. Violent disciplinary methods have long been linked with lower levels of academic achievement. But poor academic outcomes are only one of the many complications associated with physical punishment. Corporal punishment in schools is also a major contributor to adolescent depression and antisocial behaviour later in life. Evidence has revealed that children with physical and learning disabilities are disproportionately subjected to corporal punishment, causing them to withdraw from school and disengage from their academic responsibilities entirely.

Teachers who have been subjected to corporal punishment in their own lives are even more likely to view it as an acceptable form of punishment primarily because they lack awareness of alternative tools for maintaining discipline. If the intention is to enforce discipline, beating children is never the answer. Pakistan already faces an education emergency-nearly 22.5 million Pakistani children are out of school. By beating children, teachers cultivate an atmosphere of distrust and panic that keeps children from going to school. Rather than relying on harsh disciplinary tactics, teachers must formulate gentler methods for communicating with their students. Adolescence is hard enough without the additional burden of a beating at school every time you slip up. It is high time we recognize this. *