Inhumane torture

This refers to the news report, ‘Teacher’s torture leaves student mute, paralysed’ (Nov 19). Muhammad Ahmed, a 14-year old schoolboy, was strangulated by his teacher so severely that sensitive bones in his neck were broken which caused paralysis. This incident has passed all levels of cruelty. What was the magnitude of the perceived crime for which he paid with his precious life and rendered disabled? Was there no one to intervene and ward off the horrendous incident? The civilised world has legislated against corporal punishment. According to a 2010 report compiled by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, and the Society for the Advancement of Education, up to 35,000 students drop out of schools every year as a result of corporal punishment they had to suffer. Pakistan’s role in this regard is abysmal. Articles 19 and 37 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNRC) stipulate that a state is responsible to protect children from all kinds of abuses and exploitation, physically or mentally. This widespread culture has been encouraged in the absence of any legal cove. The KP government prohibited corporal punishment under the Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010, but it lacks implementation. At federal level, the previous PPP-led government unanimously passed the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, which did not attract proper attention from the Senate and ultimately lapsed.

The silver lining lies in holistic reforms of the out-dated education system. Systematic focus should be directed on teacher’s inter-personal skills and classroom management techniques. This can be done through seminars and training sessions during pre-and-post service. Parent-teacher systematic interaction should me made compulsory in a bid to help children encountering behavioral and attitudinal issues. In the after math of the 18th constitutional amendment, all federal and provincial governments must enact stringent laws. Civil society organizations, media and celebrities should pressure the government and education institutions for robust reforms.

Saeed Ullah Khan Wazir

Bala Khel