Srinagar, July 27: The Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) on Thursday ordered a blanket ban on corporal punishment in the educational institutions of Kashmir Division.
In a circular issued, Director of School Education Kashmir said that distressing complaints are pouring in regarding corporal punishment to the students in schools as per the report received from IMHANS-K resulting in mental health issues in school going children.
”The negative consequences of corporal punishment not only hinder the learning and development of the affected children but also create an environment of fear and hostility within the educational institutions,” circular said.
It said that corporal punishment has an ill effect on the mental health of the Child which is the cause of concern for the parents and the department.
“Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009, imposes an absolute ban on corporal punishment. It prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment to children and prescribes disciplinary action to be taken against the guilty person in accordance with the service rules applicable to such person.”.
Circular said that the Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act prescribes punishment for cruelty to children. Whenever a child is assaulted, abused, exposed or neglected in a manner to cause physical or mental suffering by any person employed by or managing an organisation, which is entrusted with the care and protection of the child, the punishment would be rigorous imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs five lakh.
“It is impressed upon all the School Heads & Teaching officials both Private & Government to refrain from inflicting corporal punishment on students in the educational institutions. The deviations in this regard will be viewed seriously and the strict punitive measures will be taken against the violator as per the intensity of the abuse,” DSEK said
He further said that all the CEOs, Cluster Heads, Zonal Education Officers, Headmasters of High Schools, Headmasters of Middle & Primary Schools both (Government & Private), co- coordinators of recognized private tuition centres are hereby put on strict instructions to ensure the blanket ban on the corporal punishment and other forms of abuse (as envisaged in Guidelines for Eliminating Corporal Punishment in Schools by NCPCR) in all the private and government schools in their respective domains.
Syed Mujtaba, Coordinator at CGWC IMHANS Kashmir told Rising Kashmir that they approached the Director of School Education based on findings at our center, which reveals that school children are still being subjected to multiple forms of punishment, including physical, psychological, and mental punishments.
“These practices negatively impact the overall development of a child, particularly their mental health. Despite corporal punishment and abuse being legally banned years ago under the RTE (Right to Education) Act and JJ (Juvenile Justice) Act, this circular will help to ensure the proper and effective implementation of the ban,” Mujtaba said.
