Daily Times

LAHORE: The public schoolteachers of Punjab have said that if students are not allowed to punish students against their mistakes, it will make them lazy and disturb academic environment of educational institutions.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government under the ‘Maar Nahi Pyar’ policy has banned corporal punishment in the public schools. However, few days ago, Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood visited several schools and punished headmasters for asking students to clean classrooms. He said that strict action would be taken if students were asked to clean classrooms and schools.

Criticising the ‘Maar Nahi Pyar’ policy, Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) President Sajjad Akbar Kazmi said that that ban on corporal punishment had made students lazy and sluggish.

“Being late for school, remaining absent for several days, bunking classrooms and going to net cafes, sheesha cafes, mini cinema houses, snooker clubs and parks has become a routine of students and at the end they fail in their exams,” he said, adding: “If a teacher punishes a student for bunking classes or being late in schools, then there is no need to take action against him or her.”

He said that punishing schoolteachers for asking students to clean classroom or school was not a right way. “If students will not develop a habit of cleaning their surroundings, then how will they become good citizens in future,” he asked.

“This act was carried out to school students to keep their environment and surroundings clean. The World Cleanliness Day is celebrated all across the world to spread awareness about cleanliness and if 10 minutes are specified in class rooms for cleaning, then it should be allowed,” Kazmi said.

To support his stance, Kazmi said, “It is necessary to punish student to maintain discipline. The authorities concerned, rather than punishing students, should make such rules and regulations that students might not get lazy and do their work at their own, but here the things are different,” he added.