There still are schools in different parts of the country where authorities choose corporal punishment as a means to teach ‘naughty’ kids a lesson. According to UNICEF, Corporal punishment or physical punishment is a criminal offence as per the Juvenile Justice Act and the Right to Education Act. These state that no child is to be subjected to physical forms of punishment, mental harassment, or any form of abusive treatment. However, there are some who are oblivious to such laws.
According to a report by TOI, the headmaster of a municipal primary school in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapuramu district tied two students to a bench as punishment for being naughty. The two class-3 students were tied by their hands and legs to the bench with a rope.
The district education authorities tried explaining the matter, claiming that the two kids were fighting and were “untameable”. Hence, the headmaster had to take action.
TOI revealed that pictures of the boys were taken by a member of the staff and it soon went viral on social media. This stirred severe backlash from child rights activists.
Commission chairperson G Hymavati told sources that a detailed inquiry has been asked to be conducted regarding the issue and that full details of the incident isn’t yet available.
“I have asked them to take departmental as well as criminal action against those responsible for the incident,” said the Commission Chairperson.
Such maltreatment of children is deeply condemnable and any person guilty of allotting corporal punishment to students should be made to face the consequences.