Teachers wielding cane face student backlash
While social activists demand a ban on corporal punishment in schools and at home, some students have begun to use social media to hold teachers to account.
In a recent incident in a northern school, a teacher who used a cane to punish a student for not doing his homework has been accused of child cruelty. A Facebook post featuring the scar on his hand has gone viral, prompting an investigation by the Human Rights Commission office in Jaffna.
In another incident in the north, two teachers who had pulled up some students for wearing denims and wearing their hair long, have been threatened with harm. The frightened teachers are now seeking transfers to other schools.
Some schools in the east are also facing the same problem with teachers exposed to ridicule and disrespect, albeit to a lesser degree, a teacher said.
“They use innuendos against teachers they dislike,’’ he said.
In the south, a number of incidents related to corporal punishment have been reported, but neither students nor parents have raised the issues with teachers.
Educationists warn that the actions of students in the north could spread to other parts of the country.
The issue started with the onset of the coronavirus disease pandemic contributing to school closures and compelling children to stay at home.
According to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), there have been several complaints of corporal punishment in the first five months of the start of schools this year.
The NCPA attributes this to children being left alone to learn online with no guidance or checks during the pandemic period.
Children have been suddenly exposed to restrictions and authority in the school environment, clinical psychologist, Lakmal Ponnamperuma said.
The absence of a school environment with friends and the lack of a disciplining authority during the past three years of school closures have led to the situation.
Also, free access to the internet had opened up new worlds, and without guidance, they could have been misled.
Ceylon Teachers Union president Theeban Arokiyanathan, who teaches in Jaffna, said while corporal punishment cannot be tolerated in any setting, the culture of indiscipline among the youth also cannot be accepted.
He said teachers are in a quandary over not knowing how best to discipline students.
Former NCPA chairman Dr. Harendera De Silva said the issue has grave consequences as it involves children.
“There are no magic solutions,” he said. “Only understanding the developmental stages of children and changing trends can help. For this, the teachers have to be educated.”
Teachers cannot stick to the thinking of the past that caning, bullying and reprimanding of children can address problems. There is a need to develop alternative approaches, he said.
“Firstly, the political leadership should be committed to eliminating violence against children. This is a new generation,” he said.
He observed that there should be accountability on both sides and it was important that teachers change their attitudes. They have to listen without arriving at conclusions and using the cane.
“In these difficult times, children are enduring hardships including in the family environment, and domestic violence, where parents can turn abusive,” he said.
Also, children's learning abilities can be tiered at different levels and should be dealt with appropriately.
Meanwhile, the Education Forum, a nongovernmental organisation for policy dialogue on education, said it is important for students and teachers to build mutual respect for each other.
Its Co-founder Sujatha Gamage said policymakers should start to treat teachers with respect. “Respect should start at the periphery. Students are watching how teachers are treated,” she said.
She said the administration is too centralised. To function efficiently the authority needs to be diversified and reach the zonal levels.
The NCPA said that although the education ministry banned corporal punishment through circulars in 2001 and in 2016, alternatives have not been specified.
There are plans to issue a new circular recommending diverse approaches.
Mr. Ponnamperuma said teachers need to understand that certain behaviours are normal during adolescence. While the education system is focused on developing the cognitive aspects, he said, there is a “need to address our emotional side, too”.