Scores of Child Psychiatry Centre post punishment in Schools
Srinagar, July 27: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has issued groundbreaking decision-making prohibiting physical punishment and other types of child abuse in educational institutions throughout the Kashmir division.
According to an order, the Director of School Education Kashmir stated that, based on the report obtained from IMHANS-K, worrisome reports about physical punishment to pupils in schools are flooding in, resulting in mental health concerns in school-aged children.
A doctor at IMHANS told Morning Kashmir that in the previous few years, they had seen dozens of children who needed therapy from psychiatrists after being subjected to physical punishment in schools.
According to the ruling, the harmful repercussions of physical punishment not only impede the study and development of the affected children but also create a fearful and hostile climate within educational institutions.
“Corporal punishment has an ill effect on the mental health of the child which is the cause of concern for the parents and the department.”
It added that whenever a child is assaulted, abused, exposed or neglected in a manner to cause physical or mental suffering by any person employed by or managing an organisation, which is entrusted with the care and protection of the child, the punishment would be rigorous imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs five lakh.
“On account of the cruelty, if the child is physically incapacitated or develops a mental illness or is rendered mentally unfit to perform regular tasks or has a risk to life or limb, then imprisonment may extend up to ten years,” it reads. Section 17 of the Right to Education Act 2009, imposes an absolute ban on corporal punishment. It prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment of children and prescribes disciplinary action to be taken against the guilty person in accordance with service rules applicable to such person.
