Final Report
Report on
Policy Analysis on Physical and
Humiliating Punishment in Bangladesh
Prepared by
M Nazmul Haq
Professor, IER
University of
Submitted to
Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)
And
Save the Children Sweden-Denmark (SCSD)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
June 2008
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Acronyms
CAMPE – Campaign for Popular Education
CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
CPR –
Child Protection Regulation
CRC –
Convention on the Rights of Children
CR –
Children’s Rights
DFA –
Dakar Framework for Action
DPEO – District Primary Education Officer
ECED – Early Childhood Education and Development
EFA –
Education for All
FGD –
Focus Group Discussion
GAW – Global Action Week
GOB –
Government of Bangladesh
HR –
Human Rights
HSC –
Higher Secondary Certification
IITM –
International Institute of Technology & Management
ILO –
International Labor Organization
MDG – Millennium Development Goal
MOE –
Ministry of Education
MOPME – Ministry of Primary and Mass Education
NFBE – Non Formal Basic Education
NGO –
Non Government Organization
NPA –
National Plan of Action
PEDP – Primary Education Development Plan
PHP –
Physical and Humiliating Punishment
PRSP – Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper
PTI –
Primary Training Institute
SAARC – South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SCSD – Save the Children Sweden Denmark
SMC –
School Management Committee
SSC –
Secondary School Certification
TOT –
Training of the Trainers
TTC –
Teachers Training College
UNCRC – United Nation Convention to the Rights of Children
UNO –
Upazila Nirbahi Officer
UPE –
Universal Primary Education
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Executive summary
Save the Children Sweden-Denmark (SCSD) and Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)
are committed to work against all sorts of physical and humiliating punishment (PHP) in the
education settings. In order to fulfill the commitment a national consultation was held with
children and other stakeholders in six Divisions. The findings from the divisional
consultations reveal various facts regarding the practices of PHP in educational institions.
This report deals with a detail accounts of that consultation and other empirical findings.
Child rights are integrated in the constitution of Bangladesh and guaranteed by law. Rights of
children are not compromised and in this respect the GOB, NGOs and civil society
organizations have been working extensively to protect them from such event. However,
violation of child rights in various forms is still prevalent in Bangladesh. Such violation of
child right though not publicly committed yet largely practiced in child rearing institutes like
schools. Violation of child rights in school appeared as physical punishment and
psychologically and socially demoralized offences created by teachers. In the context of
Bangladesh PHP is a severe problem in school setting. Evidences prove that PHP poses a
considerable risk to child’s survival in school.
Punishment is an act of torturous dealing with individual in any form of physical or mental
way when a child fails to express certain predetermined standard of actions in the educational
setting. Though punishment is said to be abolished from educational institutes yet it is found
prevailing in more dormant ways without confronting directly with the existing laws. Direct
use of physical punishment declined after the inception of child Rights Conventions and other
human right declarations.
This study intends to see how far the right based policy documents on children (both national
and international) deal with PHP for their protection in school and community. The main
purpose of this report is to analyze the policy statements mentioned in relevant documents
and finding their link with PHP in school. Besides that the situation of PHP in schools is
examined through classroom observation, interviewing teachers, administrator and other
workers in the field of education.
Methodology
The policy documents were analyzed in two stages first, the international documents were
analyzed and then the national policy documents were reviewed. The international section
deals with the UN materials like UNCRC, CEDAW, MDG, ILO documents, etc. On the other
hand the national documents were constitution, NPA, PEDP-II, etc. Besides the document
analysis classroom observations in different types of schools were made to trace the situation
of PHP in the school. Teachers, administrators and education workers were also interviewed
to determine their views regarding use of PHP in school and possible means of its
eradication.
Findings
All the international and national policy documents on the rights of children have clear cut
declaration that in no circumstances children should be discriminated for their physical,
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psychological or social abilities and that a child has the right to survive and receive all kinds
of protective treatment both in house, community or schools. The UNCRC is specifically
protective to physical and humiliating punishment in school or community.
The CEDAW largely deals with the rights of women and provides the basis for realizing
equality between women and men through ensuring women's equal access to, and equal
opportunities in, political and public life -- including the right to vote and to stand for election
-- as well as education, health and employment. This convention in fact does not have any
direct link to the physical and humiliating punishment in school but it may help to protect girl
child in the school from physical or psychological violence.
The ILO acts though not directly linked with the school education and child development yet
it provides clue of dealing with children in class. When teaching learning environment in
class become threat-full and students are maltreated physically or verbally for the satisfaction
of teacher or of some community’s interest the situation becomes hazardous for the children.
Considering children’s age, ability and aptitude the code of conduct in school and community
has to be revisited and the cause of punishment should be modified and refined as par
developmental need of the children.
The Plan of Action of the UNGASS, titled, A World Fit for Children, provides broad goals to
be achieved by 2010. This document, along with others, recommends that all children should
be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. Though the
recommendation does not specifically mentioned about protection of children in school yet it
is understood that all children have the right to be protected from any kind of violence or
humiliation in the school setting. Taking cue from this document it may be stated that the
World Fit for Children is also in favour of protecting children in school but it is not explicitly
mentioned in the document.
The Global Report 2007 contains a table of legality of corporal punishment in the home,
schools, penal systems and alternative care in every state in the world. This report highlighted
the efforts undertaken by different states worldwide prohibiting corporal punishments within
the family, home and in all other setting. Though the report does not mention the classroom
situation of punishment in specific yet the recommendations can be generalized up to that
extent without any difficulty.
In the constitution of Bangladesh the education has been declared as right to every individual
and it is indicated that the state shall adopt all effective measure for the purpose of providing
free and compulsory education to all children to a certain stage. Rights of equal opportunity is
attested by the constitution and for that matter government ensures various educational
support to the children. However, while giving education there has always been pressure on
the teachers to provide quality education through various means. When quality aspects of
education are emphasized without considering their supporting elements (high teacherstudent ratio, low contact hours, high teaching burden etc.) teachers adopt punishment,
humiliation or unfair means to increase the rate of success in school.
The Children Act of 1974 and the Children Rules of 1976 deal with the abused and neglected
children in the family and community. The rules apparently do not fit to entertain any
children who are abused psychologically or socially neglected in the school. There is no
mention of any child protective rule against the offences occurred in school. There are two
policy-making bodies in Bangladesh that are responsible for overseeing and enforcing
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children's rights and protection and they are the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs,
created in 1994, and the National Council on Children, created in 1995. These two agencies
do not have any specific person responsible for protection of children’s right with all legal
authority.
There were several education commission and committees to reform education. The
commissions and education policies suggested major changes in the primary, secondary and
higher secondary stages of education. There are various recommendations regarding
improvement of quality of education, management and teaching-learning activities but
regarding protection of child’s right and dealing with violence against children in school is
not mentioned. All the commissions underscored the importance of quality teaching in school
and students’ substantial achievement. Various measures of ensuring high quality learning
have been recommended but how the pressure on children evolved from these
recommendations would be handled is not suggested. That is the punishing or humiliating
behaviour of the teachers in school never received attention by any of the education
commission or policy report.
Section 6 of the NPA document deals with the aspect of child protection, abuse and violence
in detail. The NPA recognizes that all children, particularly those who are vulnerable, have
the right to protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. However, there is very little
mention of protection of children in the school from any kind of punishment or humiliation.
In fact NPA did not explicitly recognize the need for protecting children from school
punishment. Despite all the necessary concerns and action in the NPA, there still remain
some obstacles in protecting children’s rights. These obstacles are lack of adequate awareness
among people in school and management about the rights of children, poverty, and decay of
traditional values and attitudes towards children and women.
The Primary Education Development Programme-II (PEDP-II) is one of the biggest plans of
the government to improve the quality of education in primary sub-sector. The main
objectives of this programme are to increase the opportunity of children to participate in
school and sustain them there for next five years and also to improve the quality of education
in primary school. This document raised several issues of raising quality education like,
students’ passing rate, increasing attendance, inclusion of disadvantaged and disabled
children in the main stream education. However, in no clause or sub-clause the document
contains the code of conduct in school during teaching. The PEDP-II does not have any
direction regarding use of undue pressure on children or any kind of punishment including
humiliation adopted against children.
Bothe the documents of Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper (PRSP) and Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) have addressed the issue of education to the extent of its
achievement in terms of enrollment, retention and providing quality education. However,
none of these papers dealt with the issues like teaching-learning activity or punishment in
class.
The document on “Areas of Advocacy for CAMPE” also have section on pre-primary,
primary and other education areas and addressed various issues on curriculum, money
allocation, teacher training and disadvantaged children but the issue of punishment is not
addressed. Various reasons of dropouts in primary school are mentioned but that punishment
and humiliation can be reasons for dropout is not recognized in the document.
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Relatively little is known about the actual prevalence of physical punishment in Bangladesh
though it is evident form the children and parental sources that physical punishment still exist
in school. A recent survey on young people in selected rural areas of three districts of
Bangladesh suggests that adolescent boys and girls are equally likely to be beaten at schools
and home.
Humiliation is another kind of punishment which is verbal and expressive in nature but is not
considered abusive by the stakeholders. Humiliation sometime cause more psychological
pain and anguish in the individual than the physical treatment. Though humiliation keeps no
mark on the body or provides pain yet it has psychological impact in the mind of the child.
Large numbers of studies have been cited by researchers on the serious effect of
psychological punishment or humiliation as the cause of problem behaviour among children.
The PHP may cause from various reasons; some of which are emerged from physical and
psycho-social attributes of the user of punishment. The main causes of PHP may lie in the
state of poverty of both the teacher and student, lack of legal protection, socially accepted
violence, lack of children participation in planning, power relations, socialization process,
lack of understanding on child development and positive discipline. Moreover, teachers and
parents are less aware about PHP as well as they have insufficient knowledge about its
negative consequences.
Students in schools and madrasas perceive the problem of punishment as a byproduct of their
own behaviour. Therefore, they tackle it by achieving the skill of avoiding punishment
instead of developing desired manners in them. According to students’ analysis teacher
provide punishment or humiliate them for some personal or managerial reasons.
Punishment and humiliation is always counter productive for learning. The best that
punishment or humiliation alone can do is to teach children what not to do. These are less
effective at stopping misbehavior momentarily and often have a number of undesirable side
effects, in the long run. According to research, non-punished children tend to control their
behavior on the basis of what is right or wrong; while punished children control their
behavior out of fear—to avoid being hit. Instead of learning to differentiate between right and
wrong, they learn to differentiate only what does and don’t result in a spanking.
This study shows that punishment has serious consequences and that are largely understood
by children as well but they are unable to protect themselves from such effect.
Psychologically, punishment makes children passive towards learning and they lose interest
in the desired activity.
Classroom observation in different schools was conducted to determine the present situation
in school and it was found that teachers shout, tease and scold children for their poor
performance. Teachers seldom called names, gave threats and complain against children in
class. However, in no situation physical punishment and display of hatred were observed in
class. In summary, it can be mentioned that both physical and humiliating punishment is
present in school but it cannot be seen through external observation. In presence of observer
most of the teachers behave moderately and carefully avoid punishing student in class.
Information that the students provided regarding PHP in the consultation meeting has some
truth and it is open secret among the teachers and parents.
Regarding stopping punishment in school headmasters gave the following suggestions:
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A sound knowledge base on child development is necessary for teacher to motivate
them against PHP.
Teachers need sufficient training on management of student behaviour.
Orientation should also be given to guardians so that they may dislike punishment.
Classroom environment should be motivating for children.
Motivational program can be taken for disruptive and low achieving children.
Teachers need to understand the reasons of disruptive behaviour.
School counselor can be recruited to address behavioral issues of children.
Finally the teacher training institutes like PTI and TTCs are the places were PHP can be
addressed but in no curriculum of PTI and TTC cover the issue to any considerable extent.
However, popularly it is said that instructors in the training institutes say something about the
bad effects of PHP and thus worn teachers not use it in any form.
Recommendations
1. The study reveals that physical and humiliating punishment (PHP) is largely evident in
schools and madrasas but despite national and international declarations there is no clear
cut policy yet been taken to protect children from such PHP in school. Therefore, it is
recommended that in order to protect child rights PHP in school has to be stopped by law.
2. Punishment and humiliation has various forms and types so it is needed to define the term
accurately and all the schools and other organizations must stop PHP by following that
definition.
3. The international policy documents on child rights have the clause of protecting children
from any form of discrimination, physical or psychological maltreatment. But most of the
clause do not specifically address to the school or classroom situation. The government
should raise the issue and develop a direct link between the policy document and PHP
situation in class.
4. The extent of PHP use in the school has to be ascertained and it should be banned by law.
Considering that point of view the government should take necessary action to create law
against PHP in the school.
5. Ratification of international policy document is not enough stopping PHP in the school.
The relevant portion of the document has to be placed at the highest body of the state and
transformed into legislative order so that teachers and other concerned individuals are
bound to follow that rule.
6. The national policy documents dealing with child right and non-discrimination should be
reviewed and clearly stated the policy about stopping the use of PHP in school.
7. Educational institutes should be encouraged to have their own policy regarding PHP in
line with national and international recommendations.
8. The MoE, MOPME, and MOWCA should have a separate cell on protecting child right
and there should be a person exclusively responsible for overseeing the phenomena.
9. The teacher training curriculum should contain a section exclusively dealing with PHP in
the school and alternative method to deal with PHP should be taught.
10. Respective department and directorates of the MoE and MOPME should constantly
monitor the protection of PHP and take necessary action against individuals violating the
rule in the school.
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Contents
Page
Acronyms
Executive Summary
Contents
Introduction and Methodology
Background
Objectives
Justification of the policy review
Conceptual framework
Limitation of the study
Methodology
School observation
Findings
Analysis of policy documents
The UNCRC
The CEDAW
The Dakar Framework
The ILO
World Fit for Children
Global Report 2007
Constitution of Bangladesh
The Children’s Act 1974
Education Commission Reports
National Plan of Action
PEDP – II
PRST and MDG
Advocacy Paper of CAMPE
PHP in school setting
Causes of PHP
Effect of punishment on children
Consequences of punishment on learning
Search for PHP in the classroom
Head teachers’ view about PHP
Role of PTIs in dealing with PHP in school
Reflections on national consultation
Comments from education workers
Comments from teachers and parents
Comments from children
Conclusion and recommendation
Conclusion
Recommendation
Reference
Annexure
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Introduction and Methodology
Background
Save the Children Sweden-Denmark (SCSD) and Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)
are committed to work against all sorts of physical and humiliating punishment (PHP) in the
education settings. As PHP is one of the major problems for children’s education and a
contributing factor behind dropout, it has become a burning issue in the process of quality
education and effective child development.
As an initial process SCSD and CAMPE organized 6 Divisional consultations on PHP in
Bangladesh. Relevant stakeholders and participants like children, parents, teachers, local
education authority, teachers’ association, civil society and NGO representatives, local
administration, representatives from madrasa based education, school management
committees and local media representatives participated in the Divisional consultations.
The findings from the Divisional consultations reveal that the practices and consequence of
physical and humiliating punishment in the school is a matter of great concern. During the
consultations participants shared their practical experiences in this matter. They identified
different kinds of physical and humiliating punishments in the school setting. They also
identified the challenges and limitations in the school setting that leads to PHP in education
institutions. Participants also shared alternatives of PHP from their experience.
Violence against children is a violation of child’s right in one form or another as it breaches
their rights to respect, human dignity and integrity. Article 19.1 of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) requires the protection of the child from any
physical pain and humiliating conditions, injury or other forms of insults ? The Government
of Bangladesh (GOB) ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in
September, 1991. Bangladesh being a signatory to the CRC is fully committed to improve the
situation of the children of Bangladesh.
Child rights are integrated in the constitution of Bangladesh and guaranteed by law. As per
the constitution of Bangladesh; Article 14 (elimination of all exploitations), Article 17
(universal primary education), Article 18 (development of the people), Article 28.4 (special
provision for children) and Article 34 (prohibition of forced labour) rights of the children are
guaranteed by law. Rights of children are not compromised and in this respect the GOB,
NGOs and civil society organizations have been working extensively to protect them from
such event. However, violation of child rights in various forms is still prevalent in
Bangladesh. Such violation of child right though not publicly committed yet largely practiced
in child rearing institutes like families and schools. When they punish children they do it in
the name of their betterment and development. Violation of child rights in school appeared as
physical punishment and psychologically and socially demoralized offences created by
teachers. Children’s problem behavior in school and home is largely dealt with physical and
humiliating punishment (PHP) by teachers and parents without understanding its long lasting
effect on the child. In the context of Bangladesh PHP is a severe problem in school setting.
9
Evidence proves that PHP poses a considerable risk to child’s survival in school and at home,
development of positive emotion and achievement of cognitive and social abilities.
Moreover, this is the suppressing factor of the potentiality of children. The government as
well as the education providers needs to understand the factors and their consequences on the
children and the national impact at large.
This study intends to see how far the right based policy documents on children (both national
and international) deal with PHP for their protection in school and community. The main
purpose of this report is to analyze the policy statements mentioned in relevant documents
and finding their link with PHP in school. Besides that the situation of PHP in schools is
examined through classroom observation, interviewing teachers, administrator and other
workers in the field of education.
Objective
The specific objectives of the study are as follows:
1. Examine the policy stands on PHP concretely through reviewing all relevant
(education related) government circular, education policies, training institutional
contents, national commitments and plans like: NPA, PEDP-II to relevant
international documents and declaration that supplement or complement and analyze
and identify gaps in the existing PHP policy.
2. Identify the nature and type of PHP that are being used in schools in order to
discipline children.
3. Examine the effects on children and parents as a result of PHP in school.
4. Recommend actions that are necessary to reduce PHP in school and make the
authority including parents aware of the consequences of PHP on children.
Justification of the policy review on PHP:
In school setting PHP has became a common phenomena. Many children suffer from PHP
phobia being with school. The situation in the regular public and private school is alarming
and even it is not absent in the renowned schools of the country. Teachers look at the
punishment as a facilitating tool for education, according to their view punishment keeps the
unmanageable on the track. Unfortunately the view maintained by the teachers is quite
opposite to the scientific truth, punishment though streamlines children for a while yet it is
not the panacea of the problem. Teachers have incomplete knowledge in child development
and their education. Large numbers of individuals accept the profession of teaching in the
face of unemployment and other compulsions. Large numbers of teachers in the private
schools do not have any training for teaching. Teachers with overloading duties easily
become upset and attack children out of frustration.
Save the children Sweden-Denmark and CAMPE are committed to work against all sorts of
PHP in the education setting. As PHP is one of the major problems for children’s education it
has become a burning issue in the process of quality education and effective child
development.
10
Save the Children Sweden Denmark and CAMPE organized consultations on Physical and
Humiliating Punishment in all the divisions of Bangladesh. In the divisional consultations
relevant stake holders like children, parents, teachers and other education authorities of
government and non-government institutions provided a gloomy picture of PHP in school.
Through the consultations the situations of physical and humiliating punishment in the school
appeared to be alarming to the educationist. Therefore, a national level consultation has been
planed to disseminate the grassroots level findings as well as to identify future course of
actions and policy advocacy issues. The consultation will also create a wider constituency in
favor of banning PHP from school setting. In recent days government is encouraging teachers
and education authorities not to use PHP in the school setting. The national consultation will
create a situation of policy needs to deal with the gaps in the implementation of advocacy
strategies.
Conceptual Framework of the Review
How far the matter of physical and humiliating punishment, which exist in the education
system, is reflected in the policy documents are discussed in this study. Punishment in any
form or humiliating and degrading dealings with children in the school setting goes against
their rights. Use of such obtrusive actions in school is not accepted in any form because they
by themselves are counter productive in the life of children.
Punishment is an act of torturous dealing with individual in any form of physical or mental
way when a child fails to express certain predetermined standard of actions in the educational
setting. Though punishment is said to be abolished from educational institutes yet it is found
prevailing in more dormant ways without confronting directly with the existing laws. Direct
use of physical punishment declined after the inception of child Rights Conventions and other
human right declarations in favour of children but that punishment is replaced by humiliating
and other mental tortures.
This study devoted its effort entirely to the determination of ways how such obnoxious
dealing with children in school are protected through the child rights documents (both
national and international), official circulars, gadgets and school curriculum. While looking
the reference of such phenomena in the national and international documents this report has
also given some effort to determine the use of such punishment or humiliating actions in the
schools of Bangladesh.
This study analyzed the available and relevant policy documents which have direct link with
stopping PHP in school through curriculum and educational management. The following
figure provides the linkages among the policies and child survival through curriculum, school
and management. The policies have indirect or diffused link with the use of PHP in school.
Schools cannot do anything provided it is guided by the curriculum or the education policy.
Community also has some role on the school culture which is sometimes independent of child
rights policies. Broken lines in the figure indicate the diffused relationship between the
school and community. Child survival in school also has connection with the community’s
needs and beliefs. Finally how the effect of PHP is reflected on the children is analyzed and
on that basis some recommendations are given at the end of the study (which is not shown in
the figure).
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Curriculum
Community
SCHOOL
Policy
related
documents
&
Child survival
PHP
Management
Figure 1. Conceptual framework of the study.
Limitation of the Study
There are large numbers of documents on child rights, women rights, education policies,
national gadgets, official circulars, etc. Except international and important national
documents, office circulars and instructions are not available for review. This study was
based on the available primary and secondary documents only. Therefore, relevant parts of
the available policy documents like, related to child rights and dealing with children were
studied. Besides that few individual interviews and classroom observations were also made to
determine the present situation of PHP in school and to verify related data obtained from
SCSD and CAMPE sources.
Methodology
In order to understand the situation of PHP in Bangladesh several methodological strategies
were adopted. These strategies consisted of:

Review all relevant international and national educational documents like- UNCRC,
CEDAW, Global Report 2007, MDG, government circular, education policies,
teacher training curriculum, national commitments and plans like- NPA, PEDP II and
international documents.
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Discuss the matters with DPE, PTI, primary and secondary school authorities,
Madrasa Board authority and English medium school authorities.
Conduct classroom observation while teaching is going on to ascertain students’
response regarding PHP.
Finally and most importantly, conduct consultation meeting with children, parents and
teachers in all Divisions.
After completion of all the reviews, interviews and observations a national
consultation was held with all types of people including parents, students and teachers
to draw the conclusion.
School Observation:
In order to verify the data on PHP obtained from SCSD and CAMPE source classroom
observation was made in some selected primary schools, two secondary schools and one
madrasa through classroom observation. The schools and madrasa were selected from Dhaka
and Selhet districts. Other than classroom observation teachers and education workers both
from government and international agencies were interviewed, FGD was conducted and
institutional documents were analyzed.
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FINDINGS
Analysis of Policy Documents
The policy documents were analyzed in two separate sections like international and national.
The international section deals with the UN materials like UNCRC, CEDAW, MDG, ILO
documents, etc. On the other hand the national documents are national constitution, NPA,
PEDP-II, etc. While analyzing the situation of PHP from these documents only relevant
portion where ever found or applicable were considered and critically reviewed.
The UNCRC
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international
human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a
comprehensive set of rights. Bangladesh is a signatory to the convention and when a country
ratifies the convention it agrees to do everything it can to implement it.
The convention gives children and young people over 40 substantive rights. These include the
right to:
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Special protection measures and assistance
Access to services such as education and health care
Develop their personalities, abilities and talents to the fullest potential
Grow up in an environment of happiness, love and understanding
Be informed about and participate in achieving their rights in an accessible and active
manner
All of the rights in the convention apply to all children and young people without
discrimination. Particularly the Article 2 deals with the child’s various abilities including
physical, psychological or social abilities what should not be the cause of discrimination.
When a child fails to comply teachers demand in school due to his/her immaturity or learning
disability or other socio-ethnic reason punishment of humiliation occurs. According to this
article of the CRC no teachers should punish a child in any way for such ground.
Article 3, 5 and 6 also deals with the best interest of child where it is indicated that a child
has the right to survive and receive all kinds of protective treatment both in house and
community or schools. So under these articles children should be protected from any kind of
punishment or humiliation in the school or wherever.
On the basis of Article 9 child’s separation from parents against his/her will made illegal. So
corresponding to such rights of children time out (kipping the child in a close door for a
while) in school is also not appreciated for the best interest of the child.
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Article 14 deals with the child’s freedom of thought, conscience and religion. In many
schools children are punished for behaviour like not putting particular uniform or dress due to
his/her faith or belief. Such punishment goes against this Article of the CRC.
Humiliating punishment like calling name or attacking some one’s family verbally is not
supported by the CRC Article 16. Scolding children by name, defaming their family due to
their occupation (like, beggar’s child, member of illiterate family etc.) has been found
common in school. Such behaviour from teacher in school is offensive against protecting
children from humiliation.
Article 19 protects the child from any forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
negligent or maltreatment. Punishment or humiliation in school directly goes against this
protective clause.
Article 23 looks into the matter of disability of children. It is expected that every child
suffering from any kind of disability also should enjoy life up to his/her satisfaction. When a
child is enrolled in a class and cannot comply with the demands of the whole group or of the
teacher should not be considered as offence. In this regard when a child with any neuropsychological deficiencies pushed hard to satisfy the desire or parent or teacher is considered
offence against this article.
Article 28 and 29 provides the rights to child’s free and compulsory primary education and
develop personality and talent through standard participation along with others. These articles
create a confusion among teachers that children should fulfill the expectation equally and for
that reason children with lesser ability largely faces challenge in class and loose interest and
finally dropped out from school. This article has direct link to the teacher training that how to
deal with such weak children in providing equal opportunity to education.
Children’s rights to enjoyment and cultural activities (Article 31) are clearly violated in
school because there is little or no time to play. Teachers and parents do not understand the
importance of such play and other cultural aspects from the perspective of neither child’s
right or psycho-physical requirement. Such observation regarding this Article has implication
for teacher training and school management.
Article 37 has direct and clear instruction against cruel and degrading punishment used in
school or at home. But the children consultation meeting in five Divisions indicated that such
punishment is still used for unwilling or incapable children without considering any valid
reason. Such punishment is given as per desire of the community and mindset of the teacher
that the set competencies in curriculum is mandatory for all children to achieve.
Bangladesh ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in August of 1990. Under the
Bangladesh Constitution, all ratified international treaties must be laid before Parliament by
the President. It is unclear from the Constitution what actions Parliament is meant to take
towards international treaties, but it does not appear that the Convention was ever formally
laid before Parliament.
The CEDAW
15
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an
international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines
what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to
end such discrimination.
The Convention defines discrimination against women as "...any distinction, exclusion or
restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying
the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a
basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the
political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
The Convention provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men through
ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in, political and public life -including the right to vote and to stand for election -- as well as education, health and
employment. This convention in fact does not have any direct link to the physical and
humiliating punishment in school but it may help to protect girl child in the school from
physical or psychological violence. Particularly, when teacher by virtue of his/her position in
school spank or harass a girl student for her natural inability/incompetence, then a girl child
protected from such painful event on the ground of the girl’s helplessness.
Dakar Framework for Action (DFA)
The Dakar Framework for Action is a re-affirmation of the vision set out in the World
Declaration on Education for All in Jomtien a decade ago. It expresses the international
community's collective commitment to pursue a broad-based strategy for ensuring that the
basic learning needs of every child, youth and adult are met within a generation and sustained
thereafter. This document re-affirms all the previous international declarations; and from that
perspective it also supports the CRC clauses regarding children’s right. Other than this
statement the DFA does not have any direct indication to stop PHP in the school.
The ILO Documents
With the Government’s ratification of the ILO’s Convention on Worst Forms of Child Labour
(C 182), special attempts are being made to identify and eliminate forms of child labour that
are intrinsically hazardous or damaging. The Orphanages and Widows Home Act, 1944
defines an orphan as a boy or girl, under 18 years of age, who has lost his/her father or has
been abandoned by his/her parents or guardians. These orphans are taken care of by both
public and private organizations. In cases of abandoned children, the Department of Social
Services takes care of these children in the light of the Bangladesh Abandoned Children
(Special Provision) Order, 1972.
The ILO acts though not directly linked with the school education and child development yet
it provides clue of dealing with children in class. When teaching learning environment in
class become threat-full and students are maltreated physically or verbally for the satisfaction
of teacher or of some community’s interest the situation becomes hazardous for the children.
Considering children’s age, ability and aptitude the code of conduct in school and community
16
has to be revisited and the cause of punishment should be modified and refined as par
developmental need of the children.
World Fit for Children
The Plan of Action of the UNGASS, titled, A World Fit for Children, provides broad goals to
be achieved by 2010. This document, along with others, recommends that all children should
be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. Though the
recommendation does not specifically mentioned about protection of children in school yet it
is understood that all children have the right to be protected from any kind of violence or
humiliation in the school setting. Taking cue from this document it may be stated that the
World Fit for Children is also in favour of protecting children in school but it is not explicitly
mentioned in the document. The reason of not to be specific perhaps is that child protection is
a complex phenomenon owing to the many forms of abuse, exploitation, violence and
discrimination that children face, and therefore, simply it cannot be eliminated by
recommendation; government have to take multiple approaches from their own perspective to
eradicate such violence against children at home, community and school.
Global Report 2007
The Global Report 2007 – Ending Legalised Violence against Children – is published as a
follow up to the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children. It contains a
table of legality of corporal punishment in the home, schools, penal systems and alternative
care in every state in the world. This report highlighted the efforts undertaken by different
states worldwide (though the number is very low, only 19 states fully prohibited punishment
by legislation) prohibiting corporal punishments within the family, home and in all other
setting. Though the report does not mention the classroom situation of punishment in specific
yet the recommendations can be generalized up to that extent without any difficulty. The act
of humiliation against children is also been addressed in the report as inhuman and degrading
treatment.
Constitution of Bangladesh
In the constitution of Bangladesh the education has been declared as right to every individual
and it is indicated that the state shall adopt all effective measure for the purpose of providing
free and compulsory education to all children to a certain stage. How the education would be
imparted and quality would be maintained is elaborated elsewhere in other documents of the
government. Rights of equal opportunity is attested by the constitution and for that matter
government ensures various educational support to the children. However, while giving
education there has always been pressure on the teachers to provide quality education though
various means. The most significant indicator of quality education has been identified as
passing rate and or degree of achievement. When these aspects are emphasized without
considering their supporting elements (high teacher-student ratio, low contact hours, high
teaching burden etc.) teachers adopt punishment, humiliation or unfair means to increase the
rate of success in school.
17
The Chldren’s Act, 1974
The two main pieces of legislation in Bangladesh that deal with children involved in legal
proceedings are the Children Act of 1974 and the Children Rules of 1976. These Acts mostly
deal with the abused and neglected children in the family and community. The rules
apparently do not fit to entertain any children who are abused psychologically or socially
neglected in the school. There is no mention of any child protective rule against the offences
occurred in school. There are two policy-making bodies in Bangladesh that are responsible
for overseeing and enforcing children's rights and protection and they are the Ministry of
Women and Children Affairs, created in 1994, and the National Council on Children, created
in 1995. It is not clear from any sources that in these two agencies who in person are
specifically responsible for protection of children’s right with all legal authority. In this
connection it must be mentioned that person with legal background only is not competent
enough to deal with problem behaviours of children (unlawful offences done by children
below adolescence is known as problem behaviour) and juvenile delinquencies in school.
Protection of child rights without considering entire psychological and socio-cultural
background would always be problematic and never be conclusive. (There are evidences in
paper that police file criminal cases against minor children without taking their ability in
consideration).
Education Commission Reports
In order to maintain a modern, scientific and effective education system, Bangladesh
Government formed the following Education Commissions and committees to reform
education. However none of the commissions reports have so far been implemented. Most of
the changes in education system have been done through official circulars and gadget
notifications. The education commissions are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission-1972
Mofiz Uddin Education Commission-1988
Shamsul Haque Education Committee- 1997
National Education police-2000
The commissions and education policies suggested major changes in the primary, secondary
and higher secondary stages of education. There are various recommendations regarding
improvement of quality of education, management and teaching-learning activities but
regarding protection of child’s right and dealing with violence against children in school is
not mentioned. All the commissions underscored the importance of quality teaching in school
and students’ substantial achievement. Various measures of ensuring high quality learning
have been recommended but how the pressure on children evolved from these
recommendations would be handled is not suggested. That is the punishing or humiliating
behaviour of the teachers in school never received attention by any of the education
commission or policy report.
National Plan of Action (NPA)
18
The NPA has covered all aspects of child development including health, nutrition and
education. Large numbers of successes in the field of primary and secondary education have
been mentioned during the previous years. In the development of education, quality has been
emphasized to a great extent. Increasing enrollment, attendance, achievement in examinations
all are mentioned in the document at length. Accessibility, gender parity and community
involvement is also achieved largely in the sector of primary education.
Section 6 of the NPA document deals with the aspect of child protection, abuse and violence
in detail. The NPA recognises that all children, particularly those who are vulnerable, have
the right to protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. However, there is very little
mention of protection of children in the school from any kind of punishment or humiliation.
In fact NPA did not explicitly recognizes the need for protecting children from school
punishment.
In line with EFA goals, NPA covered five major basic education programme areas, namely
Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED), Universalization of Primary
Education (UPE), Non-formal Basic Education (NFBE), Adult Education (AE) and
Continuing Education (CE). Running through all the five was the Female Education and
Gender Equity, described in a separate chapter. The Year 2000 Assessment (PMED, 1999)
made a detailed appraisal of the EFA goals and achievements of NPA as part of the global
Assessment. The goal of NPA is to achieve the quantitative and qualitative aspects of
education by reducing all social evils from the community. To many extents the goals have
been achieved in terms of enrollment, retention, gender parity and success in examination.
Enhancement of quality education is the central theme of NPA and for that matter
improvement in curriculum and teaching learning activities, import new learning materials,
impart quality training to teachers and change in educational management have been
suggested. Indication of various challenges in the way of imparting NPA like centralization
of authority, lack of performance monitoring, active involvement of community, deploying
individual with right experience in the management etc. are also mentioned in the document.
Inclusion of disabled children in the mainstream and imparting basic education to them is
another challenge fro NPA.
There is a challenge behind all these challenges is how to deal with large number of children
in school where transaction with a larger number of student in class with an intense pressure
of ensuring equal quality learning to every one. Such unrealistic challenge with poor facilities
and incompetent training automatically becomes counter productive for the ultimate goal of
education. In order to mitigate the external pressure of enhancing quality of learning teachers
dispatch it on to the students in the form of punishment or humiliation for not being able to
fulfilling their minimum expectations – reproducing the memorized contents. Perhaps the
subtle effect of all the above measures is apprehended in the NPA and for that matter several
guiding principles are recommended. Such as ensuring necessary facilities, a congenial
environment and law and order situation, risk-free movement of children – both boys and
girls to and from school, opportunities for participation in creative activities conducive to
development of talents and latent potentials, and pursuit of life-long learning leading to
establishment of a “learning society” have been recommended in the document but in no
cases corporal punishment (CRC, Article 28) or verbal punishment or offensive language
should be used in dealing with children in schools or learners under NFE.
19
Despite all the necessary concerns and action in the NPA, there still remains some obstacles
in protecting children’s rights. These obstacles are lack of adequate awareness among people
in school and management about the rights of children, poverty, and decay of traditional
values and attitudes towards children and women. Besides, absence of a separate Department
of Children Affairs to exclusively deal with the child related issues can be attributed to be one
of the major constraints in the fulfillment of children’s development and their rights.
The PEDP-II
The Primary Education Development Programme-II (PEDP-II) is one of the biggest plans of
the government to improve the quality of education in primary sub-sector. The main
objectives of this programme are to increase the opportunity of children to participate in
school and sustain them there for next five years and also to improve the quality of education
in primary school. This document provides various approaches to fulfill the objectives of
education in primary schools. The biggest challenge of the programme is to bringing the
disadvantaged and disabled children to school. In order to meet the challenge a strategy of
Exclusion Mapping has been developed through which the disadvantaged and disabled
children will be identified and they will be enrolled in due course.
Emphasis on improving quality of education in school brought in various issues regarding
teaching-learning materials, teacher-student ratio, quality teaching, enhancing success rate,
academic supervision and participation of local level people including children etc. However,
in no clause or sub-clause the document contains the code of conduct in school during
teaching. The PEDP-II does not have any direction regarding use of undue pressure on
children or any kind of punishment including humiliation adopted against children.
This document has raised several issues of raising quality education like, students’ passing
rate, increasing attendance, inclusion of disadvantaged and disabled children in the main
stream education. Fulfillment of these demands will not be an easy task by keeping the
existing situation like the given level of teacher training, teacher-student ratio and demand for
set level of student performance. These will automatically enhance tension in teachers which
may lead towards using pressure on less able students and students with special needs.
PRSP and MDG
Bothe the documents of Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper (PRSP) and Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) have addressed the issue of education to the extent of its
achievement in terms of enrollment, retention and providing quality education. However,
none of these papers dealt with the issues like teaching-learning activity or punishment in
class. The success of MDG has some link with the ultimate achievement of the children in
school. How the teachers bring such achievement is a matter of enquiry and in this regard
there is ample scope of violation of child right in the form of either punishment or other
humiliating acts in school. Such important aspects are not really reflected in the documents of
MDG or PRSP.
Advocacy Paper of CAMPE
20
The document on “Areas of Advocacy for CAMPE” also have section on pre-primary,
primary and other education areas and addressed various issues on curriculum, money
allocation, teacher training and disadvantaged children but the issue of punishment is not
addressed. Various reasons of dropouts in primary school are mentioned but that punishment
and humiliation can be reasons for dropout is not recognized in the document.
PHP in the School Setting
Punishment is a term largely and commonly used by people of all cultures to discipline
children and adults for the betterment of society. Most studies over the years in various
countries have shown that from 85 to 95 percent of parents have used some kind of physical
punishment with their children at one time or another. Attitude towards corporal punishment
of children and laws about it vary between countries and from one culture to another. Use of
punishment in school is accepted in many countries while others do not admit it in public.
However, several countries have made efforts to ban all forms of corporal punishment. Most
European countries, China and Taiwan have taken steps to deem corporal punishment against
children illegal in the school system. However, many states within the United States of
America allow corporal punishment in schools. In Bangladesh corporal punishment in
schools has been made illegal by circular after death of a child in school as a result of
physical assault. Sri Lanka has also banned it by law.
Relatively little is known about the actual prevalence of physical punishment in Bangladesh
though it is evident form the children and parental sources that physical punishment still exist
in school. Bangladesh is a signatory to a recent UN convention of the Rights of the Child
(UNCRC) that discourages the practice of punishment in school. A recent survey on young
people in selected rural areas of three districts of Bangladesh suggests that adolescent boys
and girls are equally likely to be beaten at schools and home (Amin, Mahmud and Huq,
2002). Even though there was marked difference in the nature of punishment or abuse
suffered by boys and girls, neither male nor female students were exempted from such
physical abuse in school. Limited evidence from existing studies shows some key factors that
are associated with physical punishment in school. For instance, a study conducted by
Youseef et al. (1998a) in Egypt found that older individuals are less likely to get punished
physically in school compared to younger ones and the probability of experiencing physical
punishment decreases with increasing age of the victims. This study also noted gender
difference in physical abuse where boys are more likely to get physical punishment relative to
girls. Though it is a unique finding in Egypt yet it has close link with the situation in
Bangladesh as well.
Students who were found to be disobedient, untruthful and were verbally aggressive to other
students were more likely to have received corporal punishment (Youseef et al. 1998a). This
Egyptian study also found, a significant elevated risk among those characterized as being
disrespectful to their teachers disrupted class disciplines as well as those who did poorly in
academic tasks. It has been documented that the risk of being subjected to corporal
punishment increased with decreasing level of education of fathers and mothers. Parental use
of corporal punishment also varied according to father's occupation; children born to
semiskilled or unskilled workers were more likely to get corporal punishment relative to
those born to professionals or semiprofessionals (Youseef et al. 1998b).
21
Regarding the effect of economic status, the children from high income family were less
likely to be physically punished compared to those whose family income was less. This study
also finds that students who report corporal punishment at home are three times more likely
to be punished at school. Owen (2005) examined the role of social capital in explaining
corporal punishment in US public schools. This study suggested that there is significant
regional variation in the rate of school corporal punishment and the states that allow school
corporal punishment have significant lower levels of social capital. Using a similar but
restricted definition of social capital, Xu et.al (2000) explored the effect of social capital on
parental corporal punishment and found that if parents received help with household work
from existing social network, the propensity for them to physically abuse their children was
low.
Young people who were born and raised in poor families might have a different socialization
process compared to those who are from well off families and are less capable to adjust to
social environments like schools and are thus more likely to get physical punishment from
teachers. Adolescents from poor families also have less human and social capital and are
more likely to get punished in school. It is also possible that economic status works through
factors such as type and quality of school they attend and thus affects the probability of
getting beaten by their teachers.
Overall, 32% of Bangladeshi adolescents reported beating experience at school during the
previous year. The tendency of punishment was found decreasing with the increasing age of
adolescents (Nahar and Amin, 2006). Most adolescents (89%) perceive that they live in areas
where people trust each other. More than half have tolerant attitude towards child abuse and
find it alright to beat children 10 years and older if they do wrong leaving only 41 to perceive
that it is not okay to beat children. Thirty percent adolescents reported that their mother can
read and write letters. Ninety- nine percent have mothers who report doing only household
work and are not involved in any form of paid work. Thirty-six percent adolescent's fathers
work in agriculture and another 6% are day laborers. About a quarter have less than three
siblings whereas 13% have six or more siblings (Nahar and Amin, 2006). The data have been
collected from a single study available from internet and it indicates a frustrating situation
with PHP in school.
The proportion who "regularly" spank, slap, shake, or hit is quite a bit less than this but still
substantial. Varying estimates put the proportion with some regularity use physical force with
toddlers somewhere between 75 and 90 per cent. Estimates from some of Straus' (1994,
1997) researches indicate that over 50 percent of parents of young teens (13-14 year olds) and
25% of 16-18 year olds still occasionally hit as a disciplinary attempt.
Humiliation is another kind of punishment which is verbal and expressive in nature but is not
considered abusive by the stakeholders. Humiliation sometime may cause more
psychological pain and anguish in the individual than the physical treatment. Though
humiliation keeps no mark on the body or provide pain yet it has psychological impact in the
mind of the child. Large number of studies have been cited by researchers on the serious
effect of psychological punishment or humiliation as the cause of problem behaviour among
children.
Physical and psychological punishments given by teachers are largely common in schools
and madrasas though it is not officially admitted. The SCSD and CAMPE study shows that
different types of punishments are used by teachers in educational institutes. Providing
22
punishment is an individual teacher’s choice and such punishment is silently endorsed by
other teachers, parents or community people unless it creates a fetal effect like severe
emotional outburst, deep physical injury or even death. Punishment in schools and madrasas
is a culturally accepted phenomena so it is viewed by teachers and students in a more lenient
way but without knowing its psychological and social impact on the behaviour of child. Some
categorical aspects of physical and humiliating punishment described by the children in the
SCSD and CAMPE study is given in Table 2.
Table 2. Different types of physical and humiliating punishment used in
classroom as mentioned by students.
Various types of
punishment given by
teachers in the
classroom or outside
the room
Severe (Physical)
Moderate (Physical)
Mild (Humiliating)
1. Outdoor forceful 1. Publicly
1. Hitting or
humiliated acts or
acts in some
spanking in
punished by
torturous ways by
various parts of
fellow classmates
the student
the body in
himself/herself on 2. Through
numerous painful
demand of
ways
humiliating
teacher
2. Crawling on the
comments
floor with various 2. Walk around the
3. Calling names
field in strong sun 4. Forcing to do
painful postures
light while
3. Painful kneel
something what
holding one’s
down on the floor
is not willing
own ears or
while putting
5. Punished by
putting heavy
something under
junior students in
objects on head
the knee or in
or outside class.
or holding bricks
funny painful
in hand
positions
3. Hitting students
4. Hitting the child
by throwing
while hanging
objects from
from roof and/or
distance
tying hands from
behind
Source: SCSD and CAMPE study (2007)
The above table provides some examples of corporal punishments used in schools and
madrasas. In this respect a long list was mentioned by students of which some are quite often
and some are seldom used by the teachers. Some punishments are so innovative and
degrading in nature that they are ever retained in the minds of children. Though punishment
is officially banned (instruction provided by official circular) yet many teachers and parents
strongly believe its necessity in order to discipline children and enhance their learning in
school.
Causes of PHP
The PHP may cause from various reasons; some of which are emerged from physical and
psycho-social attributes of the user of punishment. The main causes of PHP may lie in the
state of poverty of both the teacher and student, lack of legal protection, socially accepted
23
violence, lack of children participation in planning, power relations, socialization process,
lack of understanding on child development and positive discipline. Moreover, teachers and
parents are less aware about PHP as well as they have insufficient knowledge about its
negative consequences.
There is no documented evidence on the quality of school or types of school in explaining
levels of physical abuse in school. Evidence exists on some characteristics of students which
explain who gets punishment and who do not. For instance, students who were found to be
disobedient, untruthful and were verbally aggressive to other students were more likely to
receive punishment or humiliation in the school. There is also a significant risk of
punishment among those who characterized as being disrespectful to their teachers, disrupt
class disciplines as well as those who perform poorly in academic tasks. Individuals are more
prone to be punished because of their own attributes. The causality can also very well go in
the reverse direction, that is to say, people who are poorly treated are likely to manifest
negative social attributes. Even though there is no published evidence on the role of family
background or economic status on the level of corporal punishment at school, evidence exists
on their roles in explaining physical abuse at home. It has been documented that the risk of
being subjected to corporal punishment increased with decreasing level of education of
fathers and mothers (Youseef et al. 1998b, Nahar and Amin, 2006). Parental use of corporal
punishment also varies according to father's occupation; children born to semiskilled or
unskilled workers were more likely to get corporal punishment relative to those born to
professionals or semiprofessionals.
Certain individual attributes may also be found important in the prevalence of punishment.
Girls are less likely to be beaten or physically assaulted in school when school teachers are
men because touching girls' body is viewed as inappropriate. However, they are not protected
from any kind of psychological and humiliating attacks. Taking evidence from the literature
that girls' conducts are seldom provocative or problematic (Berger 1990; Kaplan & Sadock,
1988), they are less subjected to physical punishment at school than boys. We also posit that
adolescents who come from poor family are more subjected to physical punishment at school
compared to those who are from better off family. It is possible that adolescents from poor
family have less ability to pay school fees, buy books and stationeries needed for school and
spend less time preparing to meet expectations of school teachers because of competing
demands on their time because of their need to engage in productive work. Moreover, young
people who were born and raised in poor families might have a different socialization process
compared to those who are from well off families and are less capable to adjust to social
environments like schools and are thus more likely to get physical punishment from teachers.
Students in schools and madrasas perceive the problem of punishment as a byproduct of their
own behaviour. Therefore, they tackle it by achieving the skill of avoiding punishment
instead of developing desired manners in them. According to students’ analysis teacher
provide punishment or humiliate them for some personal or managerial reasons. Table 3
provides some reasons of punishment in school that are expressed by students in different
study.
Above Table provides the fact that children also understand the linkage of PHP in class. And
this Table also shows that, according to children they themselves do not feel responsible for
PHP in class. Unfortunately for no ground students can be held responsible for being
punished. It is either elicited for the teachers’ personal history or for some environmental
conditions or it is due to prejudice that teacher may have in his/her mind.
24
Table 3. Different types of reasons of physical and humiliating punishment
used in classroom as mentioned by students.
Personal reasons
1. Habituated and
influenced by the
teacher’s own childhood.
2. Establishing teacher’s
own authority in class.
3. Reflection of teacher’s
individual and familial
pressure.
4. Hide teachers’ poor
ability and lack of
knowledge.
Managerial reasons
1. Management of child
behaviour in class.
2. In the quest of controlling
large class.
3. In order to cope with
challenge from the
students’ side.
4. Students’ inability to
fulfill teacher’s desire.
5. Poor performance of the
student in class.
Attitudinal reasons
1. Punishment will keep
children organized.
2. It will ensure better
future in life.
3. It will make student
attentive.
4. Punishment will improve
the judgmental ability of
children.
5. It is teachers right to
punish children if
necessary.
Source: SCSD and CAMPE study (2007)
Effect of punishment on children
Punishment and humiliation is always counter productive for learning. It has three kinds of
consequences like immediate, short ranged and long ranged on the lives of children. The best
that punishment or humiliation alone can do is to teach or dramatize children what not to do.
Often, it points out to the children what not to get caught doing. Punishment or humiliation is
often less effective at stopping misbehavior momentarily than other means at stopping further
misbehaviors, in the short run. And it can and often does have a number of undesirable side
effects, in the long run. One longitudinal study revealed that punished children are less
compliant than the non-punished children (Straus, 1997). The basic reason for this, according
to research, is that non-punished children tend to control their behavior on the basis of what is
right or wrong; while punished children control their behavior out of fear—to avoid being hit.
Instead of learning to differentiate between right and wrong, they learn to differentiate only
what does and doesn't result in a spanking.
Research on stress or humiliating conditions clearly reveals that when a child experiences
threat, fear, anger, or pain, his/her body automatically prepares to respond to the threat only
(the alarm or stress or "fight/flight" response). This condition prepares a child to fight or flee
but actually hinders learning or problem-solving because blood is being shunted from the
problem-solving/learning centers to the muscles. The cerebral cortex temporarily closes
down.
25
Being punished or humiliated as child increases the probability of his/her hitting others now
at home, school or in the neighborhood and later as adults. So hitting children models violent
behaviour and learn to hit others and humiliate people to control offensive acts. As long term
effect punishment hinders development of empathy and compassion, because the child
focuses on his/her own pain rather than on the effect of his/her behavior on others. The
natural human reaction to feeling threatened or being hurt is a flood of anger and/or fear that
psychologists call the "fight or flight" reaction. It ensures that a child cannot listen, think, or
feel regretful.
Research by Straus and many others has shown that there is close relationships between
punishment and humiliation with many undesirable outcomes like: feelings of rejection,
powerlessness, anger, fear, low self-esteem, depression, alienation, dependence, emotional
instability, emotional unresponsiveness, negativism etc. The severe consequences of
punishment are depression, suicide, drug abuse, spouse battering, child abuse, delinquency
and crime.
Consequence of PHP on school learning
There are ample research findings on the effect of punishment in school on the lives of
children. The effect of punishment is so great that even children themselves can correlate the
evil consequences of punishment in their lives. Their knowledge about the consequences of
punishment or humiliation is given in Table 4. Their analytical responses are taken from the
study previously undertaken by SCSD and CAMPE.
Table 4. Different types of effects of physical and humiliating punishment
used in classroom as mentioned by students.
Psychological effect
1. Children become scared and run away
from school.
2. Become stubborn and suffer from anxiety
what cannot be shared with others.
3. Growth of talent becomes affected and
loose confidence.
4. Become pathological liar as a result of
punishment.
5. Start loosing interest in education and
further development in professional
carrier.
Social effect
1. Leave school and engaged in unwanted
activities.
2. Become naughty and delinquent in the
school and society.
3. Disrupt teacher-student relationship in the
society.
4. Makes the classroom hostile and creates a
counter learning environment.
Source: SCSD and CAMPE study (2007).
The above table clearly shows that punishment has serious consequences and that are largely
understood by children but they are unable to protect themselves from such effect.
Psychologically, punishment makes children passive towards learning and they loose interest
in the desired activity. Over expectation to children and demand for perfect tasks makes the
student dependent on others and in this case support from parents and private tutors increase.
26
Excessive demands from school only increase the burden on the parents. When a child goes
out of control it is not only the problem of parent that largely affects the community as well.
Children love school because it is the place to socialize, fulfill their emotions, satisfy various
egos like studying in a valued school and develop with knowledge and wisdom.
Unfortunately most of the schools do not appreciate the perspectives of children rather
discourage any other feeling except higher performance in examination. School activities are
largely dominated by learning tasks and unhealthy competitions. Parent, teachers and
educational administrators all are dominated by the idea of getting better result from children.
When the expected result is not found a tension is generated among the parents as well as
teachers which is transformed into punishment or humiliation. The teacher’s or parental
tension also influences children to do better result. Such an environment in school should not
continue long and let the students in school be free and let them grow and learn with fun.
Imposing punishment or any other degrading actions does not bring good to the children in
school.
Search for PHP in the Classroom
In order to determine the status of PHP in school and its linkage with various policy
statements in the relevant documents classroom observations in various institutes were made.
The observation was made in different grades while teaching was going on. The observations
were made in terms of some interactive dealing between teacher and students. While looking
for aspects of PHP a few good gestures were also noted for comparative reasons. Nearly 75 to
over 200 minutes were spent in observation in those classes. Before going to class permission
of the teacher and head of the institutes was taken and the observer quietly observed the
teaching-learning activity sitting at the back of the class. Number of schools and classroom
observations were very few in order to draw a conclusive remark. However, the observations
were made in order to detect the trace of PHP in various school setting. The result of the
observation is given in the following Table 6.
The observation from 2 Government Primary Schools (one in Dhaka and the other in Sylhet)
shows that teachers greeted students in majority of the classes at the beginning and in every
situation they had loving tone for the children. On the other hand, in majority of classes they
did not use harsh voice. However, shouting, teasing and scolding were found to be used in
majority of the classes, but the extent was low. Teachers seldom called names, gave threats
and complained. No physical punishment of any sort or display of hatred were observed in
those classes of the government primary school.
Usually the teachers used shouting and scolding to control students. "Shutup”, or "No more
talk” were the common shouting commands teachers used frequently. In some cases teachers
also used teasing and complaining like, "You do not even understand such a simple thing!
How silly!” or "I know you will forget it just a moment later” or "Are you blind? Then why
can not you turn into page 19?”, when students were unable to follow instructions and asked
questions for clarification. Sometimes teachers used threatening or a beating like gestures
(threatening like "I shall slap you” or raising hands for beating, but not beating, or forcing the
child to one direction, or giving a slap over child’s head) to maintain discipline in class. But
the teachers consistently greeted and praised all children who have answered the questions
correctly or done the assigned work accurately.
27
Calling names was observed in a class where a student helped the teacher to correct her
mistake at the writing board. The teacher wrote the word "Introduction” in a manner where
the letter ‘n’ looked like ‘m’. One student noticed that and informed the teacher that she has
written wrong. Teacher felt insulted as a result, and instead of rewarding the children harshly
shouted, "You stupid boy, I have written it right. Can not you read?”
Table 6. PHP and some other interactive behaviour found in classroom observation
(Duration of observations are in minute and interactive behaviour is shown
in percent of cases).
Teacher’s acts
Uses of
greetings
Uses of loving
tone in class
Uses harsh
language
Shouting with
students
Teasing
students
Calling names
in class
Giving threats
to students
Attending to
student
demand
Summarizes
expectation
Complain
against
student
Scolding
students
Govt.
primary
school
225 min.
62.5
NGO run
primary
school
90 min.
50
Secondary
school
Sec. Level
Madrasa
110 min.
33.3
KG school
(Eng.
Medium)
90 min.
33.3
100
--
33.3
66.7
--
37.5
--
--
33.3
33.3
87.5
100
66.7
100
100
50
50
33.3
66.7
--
12.5
--
33.3
--
--
25
--
--
33.3
--
50
100
33.3
--
--
100
100
66.7
33.3
--
25
50
66.7
100
33.3
50
50
66.7
66.7
66.7
75 min.
--
In the NGO-run primary school, teachers use of greeting was found in 50% of the classes and
use of loving tone was absent. Delivery of teaching was given in a flat tone all through the
class. Teachers did not use any sort of physical punishment either. Shouting, teasing,
complaining and scolding was observed in majority of classes but calling names or showing
28
hatreds or threatening was not found at all. Teachers’ pleasant and satisfactory response to
children’s behaviour was observed in class.
Students in this school were found very responsive and interactive. Sometimes students
tended to get inattentive, but teachers managed those with slight shouting. Teachers
frequently used cueing to help students answer correctly. In all the classes observed, group
study was given and it was ensured that every group gets necessary feedback. Individualized
feedback was also given wherever necessary. Although the teaching was very systematic
following a three-step model (delivery of teaching, students’ work, assessment and feedback).
Teachers seldom rewarded or praised the correct responses. Some sort of teasing and
complaining was also observed in these classes. For example, in one class teacher asked
"What do we get from paddy?” One student answered, "Boiled rice”. The teacher replied,
"This is a foolish answer. We get rice from paddy, and then boiled rice from rice.” Complains
were also heard in several cases, for example, "Will you never be serious? Why you did not
bring your home work?” teacher mentioned to one student.
Teachers in Non-government Secondary School used both greeting and cordial tone in few
classes but they did not use harsh tone at all. Shouting, complaining and scolding were
observed in majority of classes, while teasing and calling names were found in few classes.
But the extent was low for each case. Teachers did not display other sort of humiliating
behavior like giving threat or expressing hatred at all. They did not use any physical
punishment also. Giving feedback and responding to students’ needs were not observed
frequently, and feedback level was poor as well.
As usual, like any other schools observed shouting was used in most of the classes to keep the
classes quiet. Teasing and complaining were also observed in some occasions. For example,
one of the teachers teased one inattentive student, "Did you get admitted in the school only to
look through the window? Go home and then look as you wish.” In another occasion, a
teacher called name of some students like "naughty” or "Romeo”. In majority of the cases,
students were unable to answer the questions correctly and teachers scolded them.
Sometimes teachers also expressed frustration that the students were worthless. When the
students responded correctly, teachers inconsistently praised their behavior and in many
occasions ignored the demands for correction where the students answered wrong.
Teachers in the English Medium Primary School used greeting in few classes and with a
lower extent. Although they used both cordial and harsh tone in teaching, the use of cordial
tone was observed in majority of classes, but to a lesser extent; on the other hand use of harsh
tone was observed in few classes, but in a moderate level. Shouting, teasing, complaining and
scolding was observed in majority of classes. In few classes, teachers applied low level of
threatening as well. Teachers’ feedback activity was very insufficient and frequently ignored
students’ needs and expectations. No sort of physical punishment, showing hatred or calling
names were observed in this type of school.
In Aliya Madrasha, greeting behavior or cordial tone during teaching was not displayed at all
by teachers during observation; rather use of low level harsh tone was observed in few
classes. Shouting, complaining and scolding was also found in majority of the classes, but the
level was low for each case. Other humiliating behaviors like teasing, calling names,
threatening and showing hatred was not observed at all, teachers did not use any physical
punishment either. In every class, teachers were very late. Both teachers and students were
very conscious about the observation and remained stiff. The lessons taught in every class
29
seemed to be very simple and appropriate for primary classes, not for grade seven. Teachers
mostly delivered the lesson in a flat tone and followed a one-way teaching method, which
mainly included simple reading from textbook. There was no rewarding or praising for
correct responses from students. Teachers in the observed class did not bring any cane, but
there were frequent sounds of caning and hitting was heard from the other classes.
In summary, it can be mentioned that both physical and humiliating punishment is present in
school but it cannot be seen through external observation. In presence of observer most of the
teachers behave moderately and carefully avoid punishing student in class. Information that
the students provided regarding PHP in the consultation meeting has some truth and it is open
secret among the teachers and parents.
Head teachers’ view about PHP
Use of punishment in school is a product of our cultural heritage. Parent, teachers and elderly
persons frequently use punishment, may it be physical or psychological, if perceived
necessary. As a result of cultural indulgence no one ever conceive of the negative
consequences of punishment in the school or home. In order to discipline children and reach
to so called learning standard large number of teacher use punishment in class. Punishment
however does not lead to higher learning standards; children will just stop to participate in
doing something. Use of moderate degree of punishment for discipline or learning is
appreciated by many quarters and both parent and teachers believe that unless such
punishment is used children’s behaviour cannot be controlled. The perception appeared from
the discussion with teachers that they simply do not understand the difference between
control and management of behaviour; they largely try to control behaviour of children in
class by giving punishment or humiliation. Knowing fully well that punishment is forbidden
in school many teachers take the refuge of humiliation for educating children. However, most
head teachers of the schools interviewed mentioned that frequency of both physical and
psychological punishment does not help students’ academic development. According to their
belief psychological punishment can be used for maintaining discipline. So, punishment
should not be fully abolished from school but there can be a clear guideline of its use.
One of the headmasters expressed that his former students who were not successful in later
life, often accuse him that he should have been more strict and forceful. On the other hand,
successful students thank him for using appropriate punishment; otherwise they would not
have been established in life. So, a trend of expecting, appreciating, and valuing punishment
in our culture is revealed from headmasters’ shared experiences.
Teachers received training from different training institute but in specific they did not have
any instruction regarding using punishment for children. In general it is understood that
physical/corporal punishment is forbidden in school. It is not appreciated in modern science
of teaching. The concept of Child Right is somewhat new to them, loosely they have some
perception about CRC but in true sense it is not clear to them that any form of punishment
goes against the convention of rights of children. One office circular was issued to every
school mentioning banning corporal punishment but that letter could not be recovered from
our source of investigation. Head teachers also mentioned that any alternative to punishment
was never suggested in any of their training or office documents or verbal advices of their
supervisors.
30
Besides all effort to stop it head teachers interviewed mentioned that punishment works in
case of some students but for majority it has a severe impact. They think that as a result of
punishment children may lose all attraction for studying, grow hatred for teachers, feel
inferior, become fearful all the time, lose curiosity and creativity; some students may become
aggressive and engage in criminal offences. In fact, keeping the prevailing scenario in the
school punishment cannot be abolished; it requires additional support to teachers and school
and also redesigns the education system.
So regarding stopping punishment in school headmasters gave the following suggestions:







A sound knowledge base on child development is necessary for teacher to motivate
them against PHP.
Teachers need sufficient training on management of student behaviour.
Orientation should also be given to guardians so that they may dislike punishment.
Classroom environment should be motivating for children.
Motivational program can be taken for disruptive and low achieving children.
Teachers need to understand the reasons of disruptive behaviour.
School counselor can be recruited to address behavioral issues of children.
But to support all these, the headmasters further emphasized on increasing number of
teachers, reducing class size in terms of students’ number, making teaching and learning
attractive, giving individualized care and attention, and reducing teachers’ work load.
Therefore, they suggested for a holistic and well-coordinated change in education system,
rather than a partial and segregated one.
Based on discussion with head teachers it appeared that they would rather apply
psychological punishment than the physical punishment. Their attitude showed that they
generally discouraged physical punishment. The headmasters emphasized that punishment
should only be used to maintain discipline in school. They mainly recommended three things
about the use of punishment:



Use mild threats if necessary, but try to avoid physical punishments.
Be sensitive while punishing the students.
Make sure students feel that their behavior is punished, not themselves.
Role of PTIs in dealing with PHP in school
Primary training institute provide basic training (C-in-Ed) to the teachers of primary school.
Their curriculum is prepared and implemented under the direct guidance of government
through National Academy of Primary Education (NAPE). This curriculum does not posses
any content with guideline of using punishment. However, conventionally and as an
unwritten constitution the trainee teachers are instructed not to use any kind of punishment in
class. In the opinion of PTI instructors, “It would have been ideal if punishment and
humiliation were abolished from school” but it is there for lack of knowledge in child
psychology, insufficient training on classroom management, having no control on
maintaining class size, poor availability of attractive learning materials etc. They think that
punishment is culturally accepted and parents also endorsed it as a means of good teaching so
it would be difficult to stop it in short time and convince teachers and parents that without
punishment teaching is possible. Most of the guardians want teachers to punish their children
31
if they remain inattentive or do disruptive behavior in class. Teachers often complain that it is
very difficult for them to maintain discipline in the class without punishment. Since the class
size is usually very big, it is almost impossible for them to keep them quiet and attentive.
PTI instructors mentioned that they usually discourage trainees to punish children, rather try
to train them how to teach students with love, care and peer sharing. They also suggest them
to use peer tutoring by using high achievers in the class. Besides providing advice to teachers
they do not have any scope to monitor actual teaching-learning situation and punishment
scenario in school.
While discussing the matter with PTI instructors they mentioned that:
“Sometimes we get complains from teachers that they are quite unable to manage
students, specially the irregular and inattentive ones without punishing. In such cases,
we usually suggest two things. One is to punish students in a way which may hurt
inside, but do not have any visible or external evidence of beating. It is something like
punishing in police interrogation torture cells. Another is to bringing the inattentive
or disruptive child before the class and shaming him for his/her misbehavior so that
everyone knows what misdeed the child has done and the child can become repentant
as a result.”
Usually international rules on child right is not included in C-in-Ed programme but it is
taught in some basic short courses for the instructors in various occasions. One of their
training materials in short course is "Bangladeshe Prathomik Shikshar Gurutto ebong Bivinno
deshe Prathomik Shiksha” (i.e., primary education in various countries and its importance)
deals with the issues of punishment in different countries. Such material should be included in C-in-Ed curriculum so that teachers can understand the bad consequences of punishment in
school.
Abolishing punishment, without redesigning education and creating enough alternative
options, can be even more problematic both for teachers and students. Punishment can fully
be abolished only when classroom teaching-learning is attractive, good teaching aids are
used, learning is meaningful and challenging, teacher is qualified, has love and sensitivity to
students and really dedicated for teaching, teachers’ work load is reduced and teacher-student
ratio is suitable for teaching. Besides we need to identify the reasons of disruptive behaviour
and inattentiveness. Therefore, school counselor having sound knowledge on child
psychology and counseling is also extremely necessary. In this case counselor can provide
appropriate guidance to teachers for managing children’s disruptive behaviour in class. We
need to change our traditional classroom practice and culture by motivating, rewarding and
giving importance to disruptive and low achieving children as well.
Reflections on national consultation
Before completing the study report the draft was presented in a national consultation
workshop in Dhaka on 27 April, 2008. The workshop was attended by a selected group of
school students (who were present in the Divisional consultation a year before), teachers,
parents and education officers from all the six Divisions. The day long workshop was
inaugurated by the Honorable Advisor of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and
Women and Children Affairs. Secretaries of the above two ministries also attended the
inaugural session as special guests. The purpose of this workshop was to create an
environment of advocating against using PHP in schools.
32
In this workshop the situation of PHP in Bangladesh was presented by the author over a
multimedia projector where the actual situation in and around the country was elaborated.
The national and international efforts against PHP in the form of child rights protection was
also discussed at length. After the inauguration participants gathered in three groups to
discuss about their roles in the protection of children from any sort of PHP in school. The
three groups were (i) students, (ii) teachers along with parents and community people and
(iii) officials and workers in the field of education. Their views are given below.
Comments from education workers
Most of the education officers and NGO workers dealing with education expressed their
thoughtful concerns in favour of creating learner friendly environment in the school so that
students automatically engaged in learning what would make teachers avoid PHP. In order to
make school learner friendly, they suggested employing qualified and trained teacher, keep
the teacher-student ratio within appropriate range, teaching in all attractive manners, use
alternative curriculum for the children with special needs, keeping teaching load to minimum,
and finally maintain a sympathetic and friendly gesture while dealing with students. These
were not only the suggestion from the education officers they also expressed their
commitment to maintain such environment in the school for the sake of avoiding PHP.
Comments from teachers and parents
Parents and teachers worked together to determine the reasons for PHP in school and the way
to solve the problem. In their opinion lack of appropriate number of teachers in school and
their economic solvency along with the deficiency of knowledge about the impact of
punishment are the prime causes using PHP in school. Teachers have to teach mostly in the
absence of proper teaching aids in class and that ultimately hampers the congenial learning
atmosphere in the class. In the absence of such atmosphere students’ ‘proximal learning
ability’ decreases and they tend to fail in the attempt of reproducing the content on demand.
Teachers under such circumstances put pressure on students through PHP. Parents and
teachers also indicated some other reasons of providing punishment in school and those are:
frequent absenteeism of student, child’s inattentiveness in class, being unruly etc. On the
other hand, when teacher burdened with classes, extra academic work outside class or in the
absence of effective supervision they become PHP prone teacher in school.
Parents and teachers came to agreement that, as large numbers of parents is illiterate or
inadequately educated; their children do not get any educational support from home thus
living the children helpless and prone to unsuccessful in class. The situation is further
aggravated with the untrained and over burdened teacher in school. Lack of social awareness
about child rights in parents and teachers also contributes to the tendency of creating violence
(for the sake of learning) in school. From the discussion of the parent-teacher group it
appeared that PHP is not only the result of teacher’s inability to cope with the problem rather
it is a function of complex interaction among individual, social and institutional mindset.
Within the group discussion in workshop teachers and parents came to consensus that certain
pressure on students can be given for the sake of learning provided they are psychologically
sound and age appropriate. Tendency of decreasing PHP in school can be enhanced though
33
motivating children in learning by introducing creative learning environment, attractive
reinforcement and competitive spirit.
Comments from students
Large numbers of students (about 60) from all the six Divisions participated in the group
work to identify the status of PHP in school and its eradication. According to their view PHP
is largely existent in school though it is not quite visible to the people. They mentioned that
various types of physical and humiliating punishment are being used in schools which are not
liked by the children. These punishments are little in magnitude but in terms of their affects
on the child’s mind are quite high. It appeared from the children’s group work that teachers
sometime use punishments irrationally without considering the ability of the child. In their
presentation they expressed their desire that teachers would be sympathetic to their students,
they would try to understand the difficulty faced by the students and will forgive their
mistakes.
Children expressed that they love their teacher but in return they also expect their teacher
should love them. They want their teacher to be unbiased and threat them equally without
considering their social, economic or intellectual ability. In their presentation children
expressed that they face great difficulty when teacher teach something half-heartedly in class
expects students to be in private coaching outside class. Many students are there in class who
cannot pay for private coaching so teaching should be complete in class. Children mentioned
that few teachers usually neglect those in class who cannot pay for private coaching; this is
unethical in the part of teacher. Children request teachers not to be so cruel with the poor
students.
It appeared from the delivery of the children’s report that they are quite aware of the
academic ability of teacher and they do not like the person who is incompetent in class. And
also it is their belief that largely the incompetent teacher punishes children more than the
competent teacher. School authority who employ teacher should take note of that and stop
recruiting incompetent teacher for any reason.
34
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion
The constitution of Bangladesh guaranteed the rights of education of all children in the
country. While educating children in school violation of child rights in the form of
punishment is prevalent. Though it is not publicly committed yet largely practiced in child
rearing institutes like schools. In the context of Bangladesh PHP is a severe problem in
school setting. Though punishment is said to be abolished from educational institutes yet it is
found prevailing in more dormant ways without confronting directly with the existing laws.
Direct use of physical punishment declined after the inception of child Rights Conventions
and other human right declarations, however, the indirect use of punishment – the humiliating
one is still visible.
The international and national policy documents on the rights of children have clear cut
declaration that in no circumstances children should be discriminated for their physical,
psychological or social abilities and that a child has the right to survive and receive all kinds
of protective treatment both in house, community or schools. While ensuring these rights the
aspect of punishment, particularly its use in school is not considered. To some extent, the
UNCRC is specifically protective to physical and humiliating punishment in school or
community.
The other documents like CEDAW, ILO, the Global Report 2007 etc. largely deals with the
rights of women and children providing the basis for realizing equality between men and
women. These conventions in fact do not have any direct link to the physical and humiliating
punishment in school but they can help to protect girl child in the school from physical or
psychological violence. Research studies shows that among the children girls are more
vulnerable in school though they are comparatively less affected by physical punishment yet
they are not free from any psychological or humiliating punishment in school. A World Fit
for Children recommends that all children should be protected from all forms of abuse,
neglect, exploitation and violence. The recommendation does not specifically mentioned
about protection of children in school.
Right of equal opportunity is attested by the constitution and for that matter government
ensures various educational support to the children. However, while giving education there
has always been pressure on the teachers to provide quality education through various means.
Thus punishing children for better education emerges from the expectation, in this regard
both parents and teachers endorse PHP in school as well as home. All the commissions
underscored the importance of quality teaching in school and students’ substantial
achievement. Various measures of ensuring high quality learning have been recommended
but how the pressure on children evolved from these recommendations would be handled is
not suggested. That is the punishing or humiliating behaviour of the teachers in school never
received attention by any of the education commission or policy report.
The NPA recognizes that all children, particularly those who are vulnerable, have the right to
protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. However, there is very little mention of
protection of children in the school from any kind of punishment or humiliation. In fact NPA
did not explicitly recognize the need for protecting children from PHP in school.
35
The Primary Education Development Programme-II (PEDP-II) is one of the biggest plans of
the government to improve the quality of education in primary sub-sector. This document
raised several issues of raising quality education like, students’ passing rate, increasing
attendance, inclusion of disadvantaged and disabled children in the main stream education.
Therefore, in order to achieve the objectives of the PEDP-II teachers indirectly tend to be
PHP prone in the class. However, students’ perspective like child friendly school, creating
threat free environment in the school, becoming friendly with them etc. are largely missing in
the PEDP-II document.
Students in schools and madrasas perceive the problem of punishment as a byproduct of their
own behaviour. Therefore, they tackle it by achieving the skill of avoiding punishment
instead of developing desired manners in them. According to students’ analysis teacher
provide punishment or humiliate them for some personal or managerial reasons. In this regard
children mentioned of various types physical and humiliating punishment that are largely
used by their teachers.
Punishment and humiliation is always counter productive for learning. The best that
punishment or humiliation alone can do is to teach children what not to do. These are less
effective at stopping misbehavior momentarily and often have a number of undesirable side
effects, in the long run. According to research, non-punished children tend to control their
behavior on the basis of what is right or wrong; while punished children control their
behavior out of fear—to avoid being hit. This study shows that punishment has serious
consequences and that are largely understood by children as well but they are unable to
protect themselves from such effect. Psychologically, punishment makes children passive
towards learning and they lose interest in the desired activity.
Classroom observation in different schools was conducted to determine the present situation
of punishment in school and trace of humiliating punishment was observed in all classes
though the physical punishment was cautiously avoided by teachers in presence of the
observer. Teachers seldom called names, gave threats and complain against children in class.
Several suggestions have been emerged from the divisional and national consultations with
teachers, officers, and students. These suggestions are:










A sound knowledge base on child development is necessary for teacher to motivate
them against PHP.
Any kind of physical and humiliating punishment in school must be stopped with
immediate effect.
Instead of punishing children teacher must encourage student to work.
Instead of PHP some kind of positive punishment like using negative reinforcement
may be used so that students get the opportunity to modify their behaviour.
Teachers need sufficient training on management of student behaviour.
Orientation should also be given to guardians so that they may dislike punishment.
Classroom environment should be motivating for children.
Motivational program can be taken for disruptive and low achieving children.
Teachers need to understand the reasons of disruptive behaviour.
School counselor can be recruited to address behavioral issues of children.
36
Recommendations
1. The study reveals that physical and humiliating punishment (PHP) is largely evident
in schools and madrasas but despite national and international declarations there is no
clear cut policy yet been taken to protect children from such PHP in school.
Therefore, it is recommended that in order to protect child rights PHP in school has to
be stopped by law.
2. Punishment and humiliation has various forms and types so it is needed to define the
term accurately and all the schools and other organizations must stop PHP by
following that definition.
3. The international policy documents on child rights have the clause of protecting
children from any form of discrimination, physical or psychological maltreatment.
But most of the clause do not specifically address to the school or classroom situation.
The government should raise the issue and develop a direct link between the policy
document and PHP situation in class.
4. The extent of PHP use in the school has to be ascertained and it should be banned by
law. Considering that point of view the government should take necessary action to
create law against PHP in the school.
5. Ratification of international policy document is not enough stopping PHP in the
school. The relevant portion of the document has to be placed at the highest body of
the state (the National Assembly) and transformed into legislative order so that
teachers and other concerned individuals are bound to follow that rule.
6. The national policy documents dealing with child right and non-discrimination should
be reviewed and clearly stated the policy about stopping the use of PHP in school.
7. Educational institutes should be encouraged to have their own policy regarding PHP
in line with national and international recommendations.
8. The MoE, MOPME, and MOWCA should have a separate cell on protecting child
right and there should be a person exclusively responsible for overseeing the
phenomena.
9. The teacher training curriculum should contain a section exclusively dealing with
PHP in the school and alternative method to deal with PHP should be taught.
10. Respective department and directorates of the MoE and MOPME should constantly
monitor the protection of PHP and take necessary action against individuals violating
the rule in the school.
37
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38
ANNEXURE
List of organization visited and individuals interviewed
1. Zigatola Government Primary School, Zigatola, Dhaka.
2. Europa International School, Zigatola, Dhaka.
3. Primary Training Institute (PTI), Sylhet.
4. Chatol Government Primary School, Sylhet.
5. Hazi Abdus Sattar High School, Sylhet.
6. Mahmudpur Primary School, FIVDB, Sunamganj.
7. Haji Akram Ali Senior Madrasa, Shunamganj.
8. Mr. M. A. Jalil, Teacher, Bangladesh International School, Banani, Dhaka.
9. Ms. Ulfat Jabin Chowdhury, Teacher, Maple Leaf Int. School, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
10. Mr. Jashimuddin, Principal, Europa International School, Zigatola, Dhaka.
11. Ms. Tahmina Khatun, Assistant Director, DPE, Dhaka.
12. Mr. Shawkat Alam Siddiqui, UNICEF, Dhaka.
13. Dr. Abdus Sattar, Assistant Director, Madrasa Education Board, Dhaka.
14. Mrs. Anwara Begum, Super PTI, Sylhet.
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