Ban corporal punishment in schools

Friends,
There has been occasional hue and cry over corporal punishment in schools in India. Studies have revealed that corporal punishment could impede the child's overall development due to humiliation.

However, what is scaring is a Unicef study, which said 99.56 percent of students in Assam schools were victims of corporal punishment.Another northeastern state of Mizoram ranks second in the list of Indian schools where corporal punishment is rampant.

The Assam government has taken serious note to this and will soon introduce legislation banning corporal punishment in schools. As Assam Chief Minister Tarun conveyed, such a system to rein in students has become obsolete and often leads to adverse impact on the students' mental well being and trauma, and will not be tolerated.

What is your take on this? To what extent are schools in India refraining from corporal punishment? Are punishments biased?

Assam school's record in practicing corporal punishment is truly startling. It is appreciative of Assam Govt. to have taken quick action in abolishing this practice in schools, which I believe is nothing less than a stigma that can prove to be a horrific ordeal for a child at present and perhaps leave a permanent effect in the mind for years to come.

The only thing we hope is that that prompt action be taken against any teachers or administrators who violates the ban. Because, it is most often seen that teachers and school administration gets away with it owing to certain flaws in our system.

Does your child's school still have corporal punishment? Is it necessary as a 'tool' to control very unruly children?

I think, we should all congratulate the Assam Government for taking such as bold step in banning corporal punishment in Assam schools. At the same time, it is a pity that such practices are followed even today (2009) in schools.

Many a time there are freak incidents being reported in the media of school children been made blind, some have died as they are made to stand in the sun for hours and even stripped and beaten in some. Seems those schools are run by some barbarians in the disguise of teachers.

Are not school administration responsible for corporal punishment metted out to students?

Hope I can have some introspective point of view on this.