TN unveils new norms to curb corporal punishment in schools

CHENNAI: As corporal punishment remains a prevalent issue in various schools and hostels, the School Education Department has issued a comprehensive guidelines on Friday, which has to be adopted by all the schools in Tamil Nadu.

The department also warned that strict action would be taken if the guidelines were not followed by the schools.

The guidelines, which was issued by the Director of School Education, claimed that studies indicate that a significant percentage of children experience physical abuse, others at the hands entrusted with their care.

The notification said that as an urgent need for concerted efforts to address and eliminate such harmful practices, the guidelines were issued to eliminate corporal punishment in schools.

The eight-page notification said the guidelines were issued to safeguard the mental well-being of students and to conduct awareness camps to familiarize stakeholders.

Accordingly, the guidelines said that the rules would promptly address any complaints related to corporal punishment and to extend the focus beyond eliminating the punishment to address any forms of harassment or situations impacting student's mental health.

A monitoring committee in each school, comprising school headmasters, parents, teachers and senior students to oversee the guideline implementation and address any issues promptly.

The physical punishment was understood as any action that causes pain, hurt, injury and discomfort to a child. Causing physical harm to children by hitting, kicking, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling the hair, boxing ears, smacking, slapping, spanking or with any implement (cane, stick, shoe, chalk, dusters, belt, whip and giving electric shock).

With regard to mental harassment, the guidelines said that any non-physical treatment that is detrimental to the academic and psychological wellbeing of a child. This includes calling names and scolding using humiliating adjectives and using derogatory remarks of the child including pinning of slogans.

The notification also instructed that the school management should instruct the headmasters to hold a general body meeting with all parents of the schools as well as the school management committees that all the guidelines should be adopted for protecting children and their rights in schools.

The director of the school education also instructed all the chief educational officers, district educational officers to urge all the schools to familiarize themselves with the fresh guidelines and take proactive steps to create a safe and nurturing environment for the students. "Any deviators or lapses in compliance will be subject to disciplinary action", the director added.