Non-threatening environment at schools

Student self-respect: How we ruin it

By Sadia Wali

  “A child only pours herself into a little funnel or into a little box when she’s afraid of the world—when she’s been defeated. But when a child is doing something she’s passionately interested in, she grows like a tree—in all directions. This is how children learn, how children grow. They send down a taproot like a tree in dry soil. The tree may be stunted, but it sends out these roots, and suddenly one of these little taproots goes down and strikes a source of water. And the whole tree grows." 

John Holt writes in his book, How Children Fail (1967)

Bearing in mind, our belief that the harmonious development of a child’s personality grows up in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding the question continues to ponder in my mind is that do we treat our children as individual?

The physical and mental maturity of the child nurtures in a care-free and non-threatening environment.  A book prepared by Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) “State of Pakistan’s Children 2014 claims that 35,000 Pakistani children drop-out of schools every year, and nearly 50 percent of them, run away from schools due to the prevalence of harsh environment at schools, or commit suicide due to the fear of punishment or failing in the examination.

A comprehensive study of both government and private schools in Pakistan showed that the standard of education is falling due to monotonous and unexciting class room environment. Overcrowded classrooms, multi-grade teaching, poor quality textbooks, and lack of facilities and equipment hamper the efficiency of the teachers and compel them to use physical violence in classrooms. The most common form of physical punishment handed out to children are: Beating on the palms of the hand with a stick. Slap on the face. Kicking and punching. Pulling hair. Boxing ears. Forced to stand or bend down in an uncomfortable position.

The following definition, by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, is the most widely accepted understanding of what we mean by corporal punishment:

“Any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light. Most involves hitting (smacking, slapping, spanking) children with the hand or with an implement—whip, stick, belt, shoe, wooden spoon, etc. But it can also involve, for example, kicking, shaking or throwing children, scratching, pinching, burning, and scalding. In addition, there are other non-physical forms of punishment which are also cruel and degrading and thus incompatible with the Convention. These include, for example, punishment which humiliates, degrades, threatens, scares or ridicules the child.”

According to the Annual Report of Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children year 2013- 2014 says that 33 states have legally banned Corporal Punishments in all settings. Pakistan is one of the 26 states where the current legislation does not fully prohibit corporal punishments in all the settings. Over 70 per cent of teachers in Pakistan agree with the statement that corporal punishment is useful.

While surveying the schools in different localities of Karachi, I was stunned to see the plight of the children in the classroom facing brutal and unsympathetic behavior of the teachers. As reported by the school heads that corporal punishments are banned in their schools, it did not seem to be true as I saw a teacher brutally shouting and verbally humiliating the child. Another teacher slapped the child, twisted his ears and threw a book on his head; a boy’s head was smashed on the table by the teacher to make him sit straight, a child beaten by a stick thrice which caused severe shoulder injury. A boy was talking to his fellow when he got a heavy kick on his back which made him unconscious.

Feeling irritably cranky and despondent as I observed these atrocious behaviors, I went to the principal room and asked her why she did not take surprise visit of the school and see what was going on in the classrooms. Parents do not send their children to these expensive schools to face humiliation and disgrace, rather they want their children to be valued and respected.  The School is a nursery which builds up the personality and character of a child and develops humility, tolerance, respect and civility in children. It is a sacred place where children learns values, norms and conduct to live a positive life.  Teachers are considered to be the good exemplars with whom the pupils get inspired, acquire good traits and virtuous characteristics.

Our children are our future. Raise them well with good values and character. It's a legacy we've been entrusted with. So don't neglect it.

Mufti Menk

Can we justify what we are doing with our posterity?

Some case study and responses of children regarding physical punishments in school really brought tears in my eyes as how inhumanely and miserably children are treated at schools.

  

Marium is a student of grade two in a prestige school of Karachi. The concerned mother narrated the harsh behavior of the teacher. “That barbarous and cruel teacher hit my daughter on the face so severely that cheek bones and nose got damaged, her face and eyes swelled. The daughter came home with bruises on her face. The punishment was given for not learning the lesson”.

Waqar’s father said that he admitted his son in one of the best private schools of Karachi which appeared to be different than other schools. However he soon realized that schools are only meant to destroy the natural intelligence and creativeness of a young child. His nine years old son, Waqar studies in grade four, complained that the teachers in his school mistreat children for even small matters. Students are hit on the legs and beaten on the palms of the hands if class work and home work is not done or notebooks are not properly maintained. Waqar is reluctant to go to school and he tried to come up with different excuses such as ‘feeling sick’, “I have a headache.”  I hate my teacher!” “School is boring.”  and other remarks.

Ayesha and her friends in grade six related the cruel behavior of social studies teacher. “She always give difficult assignments.  When students ask her to explain the assignment, she verbally abuses children by saying, “Kia mae aap ki naukar hoan.” “I am not your servant to explain you every time.”   When students ask her to purchase maps or other required material she stubbornly said “Is it my duty to do your assignment or ‘purchase the material from the book shop?”

  

Imran hate his mathematics teacher. Students of grade eight found this teacher unbearable.  When the teacher explained some mathematical terms and if weak students do not follow it up, the teacher impolitely remarks: “Were you sleeping when I was explaining.” In an insulting manner she says “Tumhary parent’s ki naukar hoan bar bar explains karon, pehlay kaahan thay.” When I was insulted in front of the other classmates, I became so upset and felt as if I am not a human being and I have no feelings”. All the students hate that teacher and are least interested in attending her class.’

A10-year-old girl said, “Teachers beat us badly when we are late, my friend has scars where the teacher hit her so hard.”

A 14- year old girl felt, “It brings harm to children, weakens their cognitive and emotional development, damage their self- esteem and confidence and develops insecurity in children.”  

The worst situation is observed in schools of under privilege areas where children continue to study for seven hours, i.e. from 7.30 p.m. to 1.00 p.m. without any lunch break. Sustainable source of clean water is also not provided and children are exposed to various atrocious punishments and had to face verbal abuse as well.

As I feel in mostly schools, corporal punishments are practiced for the sake of keeping the class disciplined.

“I do beat. It is my duty to make sure children behave well. If I don’t punish they will get out of control. When nothing else works, I use a stick and twist the ears of the child.” This was the harsh attitude of a head master who had fifteen years of teaching experience.

Concerned about bullying? A coordinator of the senior section of the school said, “We have to adopt strict and harsh behavior with some rowdy children who being too violent harm other children and also disrupt the class environment. We either suspend the child for the misbehavior. Report it to the parents or expel the student to show that bullying is prohibited in school.”

The principal of O level section said. “Being the head of the school, I and the benefactor of the school have to wisely deal with  the teachers,  not to threaten or warn a teacher who needs to correct  his or her behavior towards manipulating a child. In some cases we accommodate the teacher as we find her command on teaching the subject well although she lacks class control. There we find the classroom environment a bit disorganized and undisciplined. But we do help and support the teachers to improve their teaching skills.”

A senior teacher said,

“Corporal punishment in school would not promote well-disciplined students, but only promote a culture where violence is accepted and encouraged. The actual consequences is that corporal punishment only increase violence and students lose their self- confidence and self- esteem.”

World-renowned therapist Alice Miller has devoted a lifetime to studying the cruelties inflicted on children. Alice Miller in her book, ‘Child Mistreatment, Child Abuse’ writes,

 “Almost all small children are smacked during the first three years of life when they begin to walk and to touch objects which may not be touched. This happens at exactly the time when the human brain builds up its structure and should thus learn kindness, truthfulness, and love but never, never cruelty and lies. Teachers and guardians who abuse their children, both physically and mentally, leave them embarrassed and hurt.

Alice Miller opened our eyes to the devastating effects of of spanking and other disciplinary traumas. In her book,’ For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-rearing and the Roots of Violence’ she wrote, “Our bodies retain memories of humiliation, causing panoply of physical ills and dangerous levels of denial. This denial, necessary for the child's survival, leads to emotional blindness and finally to mental barriers that cut off awareness and inability to absorb new ways of learning. Cruelty to a "bad child" will make that child into a bad adult and later create a bad world, unless an enlightened witness comes to the rescue. A child respected and taken seriously will create a different world.”

Should we expect our schools to be changed?

The idea of peaceful classroom begins with getting rid of violence in schools. (Source: Kaufman, M. (2000) Conflict resolution- finding better ways to help boys and girls solve problems, UNICEF)

Prohibition of the Corporal Punishment Bill 2013 was approved by the National Assembly (NA) is a positive step towards abolishing extreme form of violence from schools. The bill has declared any form of corporal punishment of children in academic institutions illegal. Individuals found to be involved in the acts would be sentenced to one year in prison, Rs 50,000 fine or both. 

Section 89 of the PPC (Pakistan Penal Code 1860) (No XLV) empowers parents, teachers and other guardians to use corporal punishment as a means to discipline and correct the behavior of under-12 children. However, such punishment is required to be moderate and reasonable.In case the punishment inflicts serious injuries as defined in PPC, then the adult can be booked under sections 334 and 336 of the PPC respectively and can be penalized and imprisoned for it.

UN Committee on the Rights of Children also recommended Government of Pakistan in concluding observation and recommendations in 2009 to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment in all settings.

NGO sector, the media and other relevant professionals such as educationists, writers, scholars and human rights activists have strongly condemned the corporal punishment in schools, declaring it a "cruel, dehumanizing, and degrading" practice. They have called for strict implementations of the laws in educational institutions to abolish harsh punishments. They also urged that respective provincial governments should take serious notice of these unlawful punishments and that the person involved should be fined and imprisoned.    

 An educationalist, M.Khalid Rehman said,

“We as teachers must have sufficient understanding of child psychology so as to avoid even any corporal or mental punishment in order to let the child grow in a peaceful environment. If we feel that we could use punishment as an academic too, then we can rest assured that we are not fit to be a teacher at all, and we must find some other job. I understand that a child who is exposed to an aggressive environment is more likely to be an aggressive individual in every phase of life. A child who is lucky enough to receive empathy and kindness from the parents and teachers, tends to develop as a kind human being having an empathetic attitude. Penalizing a child is certainly a drastic measure that should be avoided at all costs” 

Educationalists and child right workers said that Teachers need to be educated on how beating and abusing students has a negative impact on young innocent children. They emphasized that   teacher training institutes should create awareness in teachers to cultivate a friendly and nurturing environment in the classroom, and teach students with love and affection."

Regarding these initiatives, Teachers Development Centre has organized workshops for teachers which aim at discouraging the trend of corporal punishment in schools; while encouraging teachers to adopt invitational education which focused on collaborative learning and cooperation.

‘The Charter of Children Recognition’ proposed by Educationalist, Salman Asif Siddiqui drew attention towards all the threatening factors, physical and emotional violence at school and at home. The aim of the charter is to create awareness in parents and teachers regarding the hazards the children are facing in an unsafe and unprotected school environment thus emphasized over the need to set up child-friendly schools.

More mutual consensus from schools, teachers and parents is needed to implement corporal punishment laws in schools. If these laws are sincerely implemented, it will help to adopt more positive ways of disciplining children without undermining their confidence and self-esteem and bring revolutionary changes in our educational institutions. In an optimally inviting classroom environment, children get respect, they behaver better and learn more from the feelings of accomplishments than feelings of failure, rejection and humiliation.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.”