Corporal Punishment- Is It Really A Way of Disciplined Society?
It is an incident of 2009 when I was struggling with my Math tuition classes to win the battle of the rat race by scoring the highest marks in Class 10th boards examination. After a few days, I managed to make one friend in class who was a little introvert and always live in her own shell. One fine day, on the way back home, I noticed some red marks on her elbows and hands. Being a curious head, I asked her about the scars. To my utter surprise, she told me that she forgot to pack her Mathematics book to school and teacher whacked her several times with a steel scale. And also made her stand outside the class for two consecutive classes in some weird position. I was shocked to know how ruthless one can be! How can brutally beating a kid treated as maintaining the discipline in the classroom? Further, she told me that it is the usual trend in her school to teach a lesson to students so that they won’t repeat the mistakes. That night, I could not stop thinking, on one hand, the school teaches our hearts with values related to kindness, forgiving others, learning from mistakes and on the other hand our respected teachers contradict their own teaching.
While recalling this incident in my teenage, I came to know that this behaviour is termed as corporal punishment which not only hampers the physical health but has the repercussions on mental health also. From shaming the kids in front of their class to beating them up for their mistakes, corporal punishment results in worsening the situation only.
A child’s mind is like the moulding clay in the potter’s hand. While turning the clay into a pot, if it is beaten up badly by the hands, clay will end up in taking no shape. But if the clay is handled gently from outside while giving the support from inside, it would surely turn into an artefact. Similarly, Ishan of Taare Zameen Par (Bollywood movie) cant learn the language of dancing alphabets and numbers when it was forced upon but he turned out to be a brilliant artist when his teacher nurtured him with love and empathy. So, rather than putting your efforts in pulling the ears of your child, listen to their endless stories and try to understand them with their perspective, keeping your toes in their shoes. Just try to be empathetic!
Try not to steal the innocent carefree childhood! Be empathetic and teach the same. Be their voice rather turning them voiceless!
