Despite knowing that corporal punishment is banned, 70 per cent teachers carry a cane or a ruler to hit children with. In fact, most teachers consider violence the only way to discipline children



Illustration/Uday Mohite

As we celebrate Teachers' Day today, a survey has revealed the horrific cruelty that school students are subjected to by educators in this city. Despite knowing that corporal punishment is banned, 70 per cent teachers carry a cane or a ruler to hit children with. In fact, most teachers consider violence the only way to discipline children.

The most common forms of punishment are pinching, twisting the ear, slapping and striking the students with rulers. There are other means used to discipline children that are not as violent but can still be considered abuse — students are forced to stand in the sun, run 50 laps of the school grounds or stand in the toilet.

This brutality came to light after the Podar Education Institute conducted a survey across 700 schools in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The survey was conducted for two months, between June and August, with a sample size of 700 teachers. The study revealed that even kids at the primary and nursery level were subjected to corporal punishment across government-run, government-aided and private schools.

70 per cent teachers admitted to carrying a punishment cane or ruler with them at all times. Even more shocking was the teachers' claim that often it is the parents who ask them to discipline their child in this manner.

No training or school policy

"The goal of the survey was to find out if teachers still used corporal punishment in spite of it being banned. The results of the survey clearly indicate that our children are not safe in school. Teachers should be given training on behaviour management and schools need to adopt a strict zero-tolerance policy," said Swati Popat Vats, president of the Podar Education Network.

The survey further revealed that around 60 per cent of private school teachers had never signed any such zero-tolerance policy, nor was any training given on how to handle misbehaviour in class.

Educators say

"It is really shocking that despite so many rules against it, corporal punishment has still not been curbed. Mostly, we get complaints about physical education teachers and we either fire them or give them a warning about legal action. Secondary school students are usually most affected because they only talk about the incident to their friends, rather than the principal or their parents. Many time, they don't speak up out of embarrassment," said Deepshikha Shrivastava, principal of Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri West.

The principal of a south Mumbai school said, "Parents have also been known to approach teachers, asking them to punish to their kids, which is really wrong. However, corporal punishment and shaming should be completely banned in any institute."