Quest for a corporal punishment-free world
it should have continued | Wednesday, 21 December 2011
it should have continued
Gopal Sengupta In definition, corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable. The term usually refers to methodically striking the offender with an implement, whether in judicial, domestic, or educational settings. It is in this context that corporal punishment - though under certain circumstances and within certain limits - appears shocking. In a system that is regarded as brutal, who is to tell the teacher when he or she ought to spank a child, and how hard the blow should be? There are fears that the court decision will be seen by many as a licence to indulge in the cruelest of acts to bring about discipline in the classroom. But can anyone dispute that this is sheer barbarism, and invariably practised by a section of our society that gives vent to its own frustrations through such cowardly behaviour? However harsh this may sound, the truth is that today's teachers - of course with exceptions - are a miserable, angry lot. They are poorly paid and get scant respect. Obviously, there is as much a lack of dignity in this profession as there is a woeful need for talent. It is of course a shame that those who have this onerous task of moulding Bangladeshi society are themselves victims of an inconsiderate and callous administration, which has little time or money for education. Violence has no place in a civilised society. Especially violence against a child who is not only weaker than the one who wields the cane or uses his or her palm, but is also incapable of exercising basic rights. What results from these adult misadventures is often tragic. Schools, certainly quite a few of them, resort to the meanest forms of punishment that are physically abusive and psychologically demeaning. Caning, slapping and boxing someone vulnerable, or even parading a little one naked are acts that reveal a mind that is sick. Yet, these acts are perpetrated in this age and century by people - particularly school teachers - who fancy themselves as not just intelligent and educated, but also enlightened. What kind of wisdom is that which allows a boy or a girl to be spanked? What kind of an education is that which implies that might is right? Caught in this vicious wheel is the child, who is battered into submission, whose innocence is killed, and whose existence becomes joyless. What is worse, such children grow up thinking that violence is the answer to all problems. They tend to become complex individuals, and social scientists have over the years found out that corporal punishment not only makes a boy or a girl defiant, but also slows down his or her intellectual development. They become nervous and lose confidence, and in some cases, they turn into sexual molesters. Ultimately, the stick fails in its mission: it leads to greater indiscipline and turmoil. Britain, once known for its boarding-school terror has banned this form of sadism. In most parts of the civilised world, corporal punishment is strictly forbidden. Yet, Bangladeshi schools, yes many of them, continue to beat their students, frightening and pushing them into dark pits of evil and ignorance. Sometimes, even an innocuous question attracts the wrath of the teacher, whose only motive seems to be order, even if that means murdering young curiosity. The point is we must allow such a society to emerge out of the recklessness of an education code which appears hardly committed to creating a generation that will be above all kind, considerate and humane. When I read about our well-wishing foreigners voicing their opinions in the better interest of our nation, I feel sorry for them, specially Sir Frank who has yet to learn the raw truth about Bangladesh politics. In a candid and forthright article written by Sir Frank Peters in many English-language newspapers about corporal punishment in our schools, he asks why we, loving parents, are permitting teachers to beat our children, the same ones we claim to love more than ourselves. He asks all the lawmakers why they have not come forward to abolish it. He points out it serves no good purpose to the individual or to society, but causes tremendous damage to the child's mental and sometimes physical state and scars them for life. We think we are a law-abiding peaceful nation, but given the first opportunity we burn cars, motorcycles, public and private property in the streets for no logical reason. We kill and maim bag snatchers, yet there are many worst crimes. We damage the machinery in our garments factories and set fire to the premises, the same factories that put food on our table year-in, year-out and deprive ourselves of our livelihoods. Our university students cause horrendous and deplorable injuries to each other in the name of democracy. What role has corporal punishment played in our learning to be violent and acting disgraceful for the entire world to see, as we often do? Many Years ago, retired university professors attended the Bangladesh Community Centre in Birmingham, England to hear Sir Frank Peters give a speech. During his talk he mentioned 'genius is perception of the obvious, that no one else sees' which I took home in my memory, wrote down, and repeated countless times over the years ever since. He wrote an article where he mentioned that during a recent conversation with his wife, Sir Frank's name surfaced and his successful campaign to abolish corporal punishment in schools. He's a hero to our two boys, Ali and Abdul. We can't help but wonder why it's taken an individual, to accomplish this great social achievement and not one of the hundreds of massively-funded non-government youth organisations that's been in operation here for decades and whose mission statements profess to save and protect children from harm? Surely the problem would have been as obvious to them as it was to Sir Frank? Or is this Sir Frank's memorable quotation 'Genius is perception of the obvious, that no one else sees' now reflecting back at him? Let me again applaud and endorse the views expressed by Sir Frank Peters about corporal punishment. It is sad that most teachers do not know about the UN Convention on the Rights of Children. The teachers require a thorough orientation to increase their awareness levels. The authorities can consider introducing a feedback system through which the outgoing students of a class can give an assessment of the teachers who taught them during the year under review. A dispassionate assessment of the feedback will help in improving the system. It was Rousseau who began his educational classic Emile with the words "God makes all good, but it is men who meddle with them and they become evil." Every teacher should keep this remark in his or her mind before coming to judgment on students' (mis) behaviour. A fine understanding of students' viewpoints will make the schools a better and safer place for the children. I have often found during my interaction with teachers that almost all of them are ignorant of the UNCRC. It is therefore highly gratifying that our erudite judge has called for enacting a child rights code. I appeal to all teachers to abolish the classroom culture of tyranny and terrorism and to promote an atmosphere of positive learning from which students benefit. American Comedian P.J. O'Rourke once told that let's reintroduce corporal punishment in the schools - and use it on the teachers. Rather let all come forward with Sir Frank Peters, join hands and promise our actions in reality to make corporal punishment History. On the 18th anniversary of the Financial Express, a leading English daily, my fondest dream is that some day our next generations and grandchildren, will go to the museums to see what corporal was like because there will no longer be any on this planet. And they will accuse us, their forefathers, for letting it continue until the 21st century -because there is no good reason why it should have continued. I believe that day will come. I am sure many of us do, and many of us who do not believe now will soon believe in it. And together, we'll create a corporal punishment-free world. The writer can be reached at: [email protected]
Gopal Sengupta In definition, corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable. The term usually refers to methodically striking the offender with an implement, whether in judicial, domestic, or educational settings. It is in this context that corporal punishment - though under certain circumstances and within certain limits - appears shocking. In a system that is regarded as brutal, who is to tell the teacher when he or she ought to spank a child, and how hard the blow should be? There are fears that the court decision will be seen by many as a licence to indulge in the cruelest of acts to bring about discipline in the classroom. But can anyone dispute that this is sheer barbarism, and invariably practised by a section of our society that gives vent to its own frustrations through such cowardly behaviour? However harsh this may sound, the truth is that today's teachers - of course with exceptions - are a miserable, angry lot. They are poorly paid and get scant respect. Obviously, there is as much a lack of dignity in this profession as there is a woeful need for talent. It is of course a shame that those who have this onerous task of moulding Bangladeshi society are themselves victims of an inconsiderate and callous administration, which has little time or money for education. Violence has no place in a civilised society. Especially violence against a child who is not only weaker than the one who wields the cane or uses his or her palm, but is also incapable of exercising basic rights. What results from these adult misadventures is often tragic. Schools, certainly quite a few of them, resort to the meanest forms of punishment that are physically abusive and psychologically demeaning. Caning, slapping and boxing someone vulnerable, or even parading a little one naked are acts that reveal a mind that is sick. Yet, these acts are perpetrated in this age and century by people - particularly school teachers - who fancy themselves as not just intelligent and educated, but also enlightened. What kind of wisdom is that which allows a boy or a girl to be spanked? What kind of an education is that which implies that might is right? Caught in this vicious wheel is the child, who is battered into submission, whose innocence is killed, and whose existence becomes joyless. What is worse, such children grow up thinking that violence is the answer to all problems. They tend to become complex individuals, and social scientists have over the years found out that corporal punishment not only makes a boy or a girl defiant, but also slows down his or her intellectual development. They become nervous and lose confidence, and in some cases, they turn into sexual molesters. Ultimately, the stick fails in its mission: it leads to greater indiscipline and turmoil. Britain, once known for its boarding-school terror has banned this form of sadism. In most parts of the civilised world, corporal punishment is strictly forbidden. Yet, Bangladeshi schools, yes many of them, continue to beat their students, frightening and pushing them into dark pits of evil and ignorance. Sometimes, even an innocuous question attracts the wrath of the teacher, whose only motive seems to be order, even if that means murdering young curiosity. The point is we must allow such a society to emerge out of the recklessness of an education code which appears hardly committed to creating a generation that will be above all kind, considerate and humane. When I read about our well-wishing foreigners voicing their opinions in the better interest of our nation, I feel sorry for them, specially Sir Frank who has yet to learn the raw truth about Bangladesh politics. In a candid and forthright article written by Sir Frank Peters in many English-language newspapers about corporal punishment in our schools, he asks why we, loving parents, are permitting teachers to beat our children, the same ones we claim to love more than ourselves. He asks all the lawmakers why they have not come forward to abolish it. He points out it serves no good purpose to the individual or to society, but causes tremendous damage to the child's mental and sometimes physical state and scars them for life. We think we are a law-abiding peaceful nation, but given the first opportunity we burn cars, motorcycles, public and private property in the streets for no logical reason. We kill and maim bag snatchers, yet there are many worst crimes. We damage the machinery in our garments factories and set fire to the premises, the same factories that put food on our table year-in, year-out and deprive ourselves of our livelihoods. Our university students cause horrendous and deplorable injuries to each other in the name of democracy. What role has corporal punishment played in our learning to be violent and acting disgraceful for the entire world to see, as we often do? Many Years ago, retired university professors attended the Bangladesh Community Centre in Birmingham, England to hear Sir Frank Peters give a speech. During his talk he mentioned 'genius is perception of the obvious, that no one else sees' which I took home in my memory, wrote down, and repeated countless times over the years ever since. He wrote an article where he mentioned that during a recent conversation with his wife, Sir Frank's name surfaced and his successful campaign to abolish corporal punishment in schools. He's a hero to our two boys, Ali and Abdul. We can't help but wonder why it's taken an individual, to accomplish this great social achievement and not one of the hundreds of massively-funded non-government youth organisations that's been in operation here for decades and whose mission statements profess to save and protect children from harm? Surely the problem would have been as obvious to them as it was to Sir Frank? Or is this Sir Frank's memorable quotation 'Genius is perception of the obvious, that no one else sees' now reflecting back at him? Let me again applaud and endorse the views expressed by Sir Frank Peters about corporal punishment. It is sad that most teachers do not know about the UN Convention on the Rights of Children. The teachers require a thorough orientation to increase their awareness levels. The authorities can consider introducing a feedback system through which the outgoing students of a class can give an assessment of the teachers who taught them during the year under review. A dispassionate assessment of the feedback will help in improving the system. It was Rousseau who began his educational classic Emile with the words "God makes all good, but it is men who meddle with them and they become evil." Every teacher should keep this remark in his or her mind before coming to judgment on students' (mis) behaviour. A fine understanding of students' viewpoints will make the schools a better and safer place for the children. I have often found during my interaction with teachers that almost all of them are ignorant of the UNCRC. It is therefore highly gratifying that our erudite judge has called for enacting a child rights code. I appeal to all teachers to abolish the classroom culture of tyranny and terrorism and to promote an atmosphere of positive learning from which students benefit. American Comedian P.J. O'Rourke once told that let's reintroduce corporal punishment in the schools - and use it on the teachers. Rather let all come forward with Sir Frank Peters, join hands and promise our actions in reality to make corporal punishment History. On the 18th anniversary of the Financial Express, a leading English daily, my fondest dream is that some day our next generations and grandchildren, will go to the museums to see what corporal was like because there will no longer be any on this planet. And they will accuse us, their forefathers, for letting it continue until the 21st century -because there is no good reason why it should have continued. I believe that day will come. I am sure many of us do, and many of us who do not believe now will soon believe in it. And together, we'll create a corporal punishment-free world. The writer can be reached at: [email protected]