Editorial
A schoolboy beaten again!
Corporal punishment should be firmly dealt with
A 12-year-old boy in Sitakunda was mercilessly caned by his teacher until the boy lost his consciousness. A photo of the young boy's back showed the horrid bloody scar marks he was left with. The teacher was beaten by locals and then arrested by law enforcers. What caused the teacher to take such a measure towards the boy? Apparently the teacher thought the 12-year old stole his mobile phone.
To be beaten at school is not a rare incident in Bangladesh, though a prohibition order exists against corporal punishment.
There are hundreds of reasons why a child should not be hit, a child can become a hitter himself if they are exposed to beating, punishment distracts the child from learning how to resolve conflict in an effective and humane way, and most importantly physical punishment gives the dangerous and unfair message that "might makes right," that it is permissible to hurt someone else, provided they are smaller and less powerful than you are.
With the growing violence in Bangladesh, the last thing our educators should do is use physical violence when dealing with a child. Jus as teachers need to be sensitised to spare the rod, real attitudinal change can come through training and supervision from the top.
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