Schools told to implement corporal punishment ban

Police to lodge FIR against teachers physically punishing children

RAWALPINDI:  

Government teachers in Rawalpindi, like rest of Punjab will face police action if they continue to follow the policy of ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’.

Teachers trying to ‘discipline’ children the old fashion way will lose their jobs too, besides facing criminal proceedings.

Punjab education ministry has sent a circular to district education authorities to strictly implement the ban on corporal punishment in government schools.

Punjab had banned corporal punishment in schools in 2018. However, the implementation of the ban remained lax. In this regard, the education secretary issued a circular reminding that corporal punishment in schools has been termed a criminal offence.

If any teacher hits or physically tortures a child, a case in the related police station would be registered against the teacher.

A copy of the first information report (FIR) would be sent to the related district authority after which the teachers would be sacked and face an inquiry under Punjab Employees Efficiency and Discipline Accountability (PEEDA) Act.

Furthermore, secretary of education has directed district education officers of the 36 districts of Punjab to brief teachers on the corporal punishment ban.

However, the teachers’ organisations have expressed serious concerns on the decision.

Punjab upgrades mosque schools

Punab government has upgraded 348 mosque schools to primary schools.

Children going to mosque schools teaching up to grade three will come back after summer vacation to primary schools upgraded to level five.

The provincial government has sent circulars to chief executives of respective district education authorities seeking details of mosque schools, furniture, walls, electricity, water, gas, class rooms and also have also formed a four-member committee to recommend provision of missing facilities.

These schools were established in 14 divisions of Punjab including Rawalpindi division. Each mosque school had 15 to 60 students and one teacher providing education upto grade three.

Teachers at mosque schools were prayer leaders.

Now these mosque schools have been regularised as government primary schools. At least two to three teachers will be appointed to in each mosque school to provide quality education till grade five.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2019.