Source: Press Reports
NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 8, 2002: Despite the December 1, 2000, High Court order, corporal punishment appears to be commonplace in Delhi schools. In just the past week, three cases of violence against students were reported. Eleven-year-old Arti fainted after her teacher beat her with a stick for not bringing her English notebook to school. Student of a government school in Mukherji Nagar, Arti had to be hospitalized for five days. Nine-year-old Anuj, student of a reputed public school, has not attended classes for the last two months because his teacher slapped and ridiculed him in front of the whole class for faring poorly in exams. Anuj has threatened his parents that he will run away from school if they force him to attend classes. Experts say corporal punishments have a significant impact on a child’s personality. “Every time a child is traumatized, he loses self-esteem. Due to this, he develops complexes, which become an inherent part of his personality,” says Dr. Jitender Nagpal, consultant psychiatrist at Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences. In most cases children awarded corporal punishment become more aggressive and defiant, he says. Vijender Kumar of the Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh says all schools are still practicing Victorian rules and the government is doing little to check the menace. The Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh is filing a contempt petition against the Delhi government for defiance of orders of the Delhi High court.