Capital Territory of Islamabad has established the guidelines for its Act banning physical punishment of children in schools, including all educational institutions, and has declared in a significant ceremony that going forward; children will be educated in a supportive and peaceful environment. Former ministers and well-known people, including Shehzad Roy, spoke during the ceremony, making it a high-profile event. 62 states have so far made corporal punishment, including at home, illegal elsewhere in the world. One hundred thirty-five states forbid corporal punishment outside the house.
One of the diminishing numbers of nation that still allows corporal punishment in schools is Pakistan. The nation also permits degrading punishments at these institutions, which has led to instances in which kids have suffered serious injuries or, in the worst circumstances, even died. We must forbid corporal punishment and establish a new methodology for instruction that respects children’s rights as outlined in agreements Pakistan has ratified with other countries.
Also worth mentioning is the necessity for uniform laws across the nation. In Sindh, physical punishment has been prohibited since 2017. After speaking with Malala Yousafzai in December 2022, the then-chief minister of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi, agreed that a law should be approved and made a commitment that it would take place that month. It didn’t take place. Of course, we also know what happened to the Elahi administration in the days, weeks, and months that followed. The entire issue is also underpinned by a fundamental idea.
First and foremost, training for teachers is crucial in order for them to understand how to instruct and when required, discipline kids in a way that doesn’t harm or affect them in any way. It is evident that corporal punishment must be prohibited.
Unfortunately, it is the only way that parents, teachers, and many families in our schools and in many homes know how to correct or educate kids about bad behavior. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was ratified by Pakistan more than 30 years ago. We must alter both the way we think and the way we behave.
Most importantly, Child Protection Bureaus—which are already in place in at least some of our provinces—need to be educated to carry out their duties in a coordinated fashion. We cannot allow youngsters to be physically abused just because they choose not to consult their textbooks. Given how kids are taught in schools, this is even truer. There are alternative techniques that are employed all over the world that are significantly more effective and guarantee the child’s protection at all costs. We need to address this in our nation, and we must hope that the implementation of the regulations for the Islamabad Capital Territory will spur additional action throughout the rest of the nation to protect children in their educational facilities and finally end corporal punishment.
Every youngster has the right to develop peacefully while learning. The environments of education, rehabilitation, and nursery are essential for a child’s growth, and corporal punishment restricts and jeopardizes this development.
Studies from various nations and contexts have repeatedly shown the numerous detrimental impacts of corporal punishment, including how it violates rights, obstructs learning, is bad for one’s physical and mental health, and encourages violence and sadness in young people. Child protection units must be set up and a system put in place to ensure a proper reporting procedure. “We need to challenge this mentality. Beating children does not aid them in any way. Instead, it kills their creativity and is a breach of fundamental rights. Children must be made to feel dignified.”
