HARIPUR:
Despite the education department’s instructions to replace corporal punishment with more humane disciplinary methods, some teachers at state-run schools are still flagrantly abusing children’s rights by brutally punishing students.
The most recent evidence of such barbaric treatment was reported from Government Primary School No-1 Khanpur on Wednesday, where a third-grader was allegedly ‘penalised’ by his teacher after taking a day off.
(Read: Pakistan’s labouring children)
According to Abid Zaman, an employee at a grocery shop, his eight-year-old son, Saqib Zaman, took a day off from school as he had a high fever. He said that the school administration was not informed of his absence because Abid could not inform them.
When Saqib went to class the next day, his teacher, Rizwan, inquired about his absence, upon which Saqib explained that he could not attend school as he was sick.
Rizwan, however, took his unannounced leave as a serious violation of school discipline and allegedly started slapping and punching him. Even after that, Rizwan was unsatisfied with the punishment. Unmoved by the wailing boy, he started beating the boy with a cane. He kept beating Saqib till the time the little boy was unable to stand on his feet and was about to collapse with pain, explained Abid.
“Saqib was not allowed to go home even though he was crying in pain and could not even sit due to the abrasions on his legs, back and buttocks,” said a student of the same class.
Abid said he tried to lodge a criminal case against the inhumane act of the class teacher, but was forced to retreat by some influential villagers at the police station.
The complainant then took the injured boy to media personnel and informed them about the incident.
Meanwhile, Abid Khan Jadoon, the head teacher at the school, confirmed that corporal punishment had been used on the boy. However, he said that he, along with some notables of the area, had managed to convince the father to forgive the teacher, as lodging a criminal case against a teacher would bring ‘disrepute’ to the teaching profession.
He explained that a local jirga held a meeting to discuss to incident, where the father agreed to pardon the teacher, who apologised for his actions.
The head teacher acknowledged that corporal punishment was banned in government schools and such barbaric acts were a clear violation of the instructions of the education department.
Meanwhile, Adeel Ahmed, a social activist at a non-governmental organisation Human Development Organisation, Qamar Hayat of Sahara Foundation and Ibrar Shah of Rural Development Project have condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the teacher.
They said that juvenile delinquency and deviant behaviour among children was in fact a result of corporal punishment in the country. They also claimed that the dropout rate among schoolchildren could also increase due to such inhumane behaviour by teachers. Education Executive District Officer Riaz Khan Swati was not available for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2011.
COMMENTS (12)
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@Leila Rage Government school teachers actually make a lot more money than private school teachers. There's something fundamentally wrong with us.
This is all because no one from a good, sane family encourages their children to become teachers. They are worried that this way their children wont make enough money to support themselves and wont be respected because in Pakistan no one respects teachers. Hence, stupid creeps like this person become "teachers" and distort young minds, and also destroy our future as a civilised nation.
I wonder that why even after exposing this news on media, still govt enforcement isnt doing any things for such a disghusting act by a so called teacher which is suppose to teach childrens wisdom, knowledge, patience, tolerance and acceptance. Why the hell teacher on first case didnt confirm the news from parents whether a child was ill...
"illeteracy in the form of education"
I would so like to get my hands on this teacher. To think that such subhuman creatures are charged with developing young minds makes me sick.
When Raymond Davis was released after being pardoned, their was uproar thoughout Pakistan. Why not now. I see no protests.
Pathetic. Education department make sure some steps regarding corporal punishment in schools.
The teacher should be beaten up with the same cane ..... pathetic heartless teacher
This sort of punishment was quiet common at one of my school, and I have personally experienced this corporal punishment, a lot worse. When the least employable people becomes 'teachers', then these sort of punishments are not such a perplexing phenomenon. I will not be wrong in saying that, ninety percent (90%) of our teachers were psychopaths. At least my teachers in state school were not normal. They used to hit students, just because they can. I can write thousand pages on this issue but who is listening!
This violation of human suffering must not remain unnoticed and unpunished. This is absolutely no way to treat a child. This must be recognized and the teacher accused of attempted murder. The mental trauma will last for years on end and will haunt the child maybe forever. Where is the local High Court's 'suo moto.' Shahbaz Sharif and the champions of PML N, PPP, PML Q!!! Where are you now? Step forward and give succor and solace to the child. He deserves it more than you people deserve your mumbo jumbo politics. Who knows this child is the future Prime Minister of Pakistan??? Salams to the boy.
When people say Pakistan needs more education, I don't think they had sadistic teachers in mind meting out abuse on hapless children who may instead end up showing anti-social behaviours in the future thanks to them.
Pathetic!