A vast chunk of our population consists of children and considering that they are the future, the widespread prevalence of corporal punishment, especially during schooling, has been a cause for concern.
Delving into the issue from the point of view of all stakeholders, Parminder Singh Bhullar’s book “Corporal Punishment in Schools” (Diamond Books) grasps well the gravity of the problem and comes up with ways to address the aberration.
The author, a Delhi-based lawyer, has presented the subject in a systematic manner, starting with different definitions of corporal punishment and its types and moving on to trace its history.
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“I was seized of the issue after reading reports and articles in newspapers and magazines about corporal punishment in schools from time to time. Besides, parents of children who had faced this problem in school had also approached me for advice. I found there was lack of awareness and sensitivity,” says Bhullar.
To his amazement, he found “no information was available to educate parents, teachers and school management” about the adverse effects of corporal punishment. “I decided that awareness about it should be spread,” he says.
Bhullar categorically states that the “objective of the book is to bring to the fore the point that there is no scope for violence in education. In fact, fear is an impediment and a scared student will give up the effort to learn.” He feels the book is relevant for everybody since “each one of us is associated with children at some point in life.”
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The book covers common myths associated with corporal punishment, the status of its prohibition in the world and India besides devoting two chapters to legislation pertaining to it in India and the liabilities involved under different principles of laws. The writer presents views both in favour and against the tendency while highlighting the facet of conditional acceptance of it. “Corporal punishment is a breach of children’s right to protection. There is no place for corporal punishment in the educational system,” he highlights.
The book does not confine itself to the existence and magnitude of the problem but describes at length the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders –– teachers, children, ex-students, parents, school management, principals, education department, the society at large, the media and the State. According to Bhullar, it is the collective responsibility of society and the government to provide to children a safe and caring environment that is conducive to learning. He stresses that “self-introspection and self-regulation is the need of the times,” adding, “we need to examine and assess the real purpose of education and discipline.”
Incidents in the book draw attention to its prevalence in the country, which Bhullar describes as the “tip of the iceberg”, along with major judgments highlighting the changing perspective of judiciary in India and the world.
The writer feels that providing a violence-free childhood in India is possible. “When we have enacted laws to ban cruelty towards animals and damage to environment, why can’t we do the same for children?” he asks, pointing out that “hurting and hitting of an adult by another is illegal and can entail prosecution.”