Parents who send their children to church Schools in Northern India will soon find many welcome changes. The Churches of North India (CNI) are drawing up rules that will overthrow years of tradition.

 

The new rules that will take effect in July will ban corporal and humiliating punishments in 250 church controlled schools and make their teachers, “child friendly”. The schools that in the past proudly asserted that they did not spare the rod, will no longer have a rod on the premises!

 

The practices that will no longer be allowed include hitting the child, making them stand outside the classroom, stand on benches, or squat in the ‘murgi’ position.  Also, the teachers will no longer get away with insulting or demeaning the children in front of others!

 

As from July teachers will have to manage bad or inappropriate behaviour in the ways that teachers in modern education have been doing for many years. Instead of punishment and humiliation teachers will now manage, advise, counsel, and if necessary resort to suspension or expulsion.

 

 

Firm rules will be put in place to ensure that teachers comply with the guidelines, and the new rules will be accompanied by the introduction of a documented disciplinary procedure that will help the child understand the consequences of his/her behaviour, and safeguard the teacher from false accusations. -  The teachers will also be required to have regular three monthly training in classroom and personal management skills.

 

The CNI schools are facing up to the realities of 21st century attitudes and economy and transforming themselves into market-oriented entities. This is highly significant because these schools have their roots in the traditions and values of Victorian England. The idea that children should be beaten, punished and forced to conform to a hierarchy of discipline that would fundamentally change them, was originally central to their reason for existence.

 

Over the last 50 years many countries have banned corporal punishment.  The UK banned corporal punishment in government schools in 1987 and in India, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have long since banned it.

 

Numerous studies have shown that these punishments do extensive harm to children. Corporal punishment conveys to the child that a way to settle interpersonal conflicts is to use physical force and inflict pain. Many children may in turn resort to such behavior themselves, and fail to evolve the necessary skills to settle disputes or wield authority in less harmful ways.

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that corporal punishment may adversely affect a student's self-image and school achievement, and that it may contribute to disruptive and violent student behavior.  They point out that alternative methods of behavioral management have proved more effective than corporal punishment

 

Elizabeth Gershoff, a researcher at Columbia University has found links between spanking and 10 negative behaviors or experiences, including aggression, anti-social behavior and mental health problems both in childhood and in adulthood. - The one positive result of spanking that she identified was quick compliance with parental demands.

 

The CNI’s move towards non-oppressive ‘education’ is part of a worldwide trend towards a more child centred approach to learning.   The days of “bash em and thrash em, and humiliate em” are coming to an end. – Good riddance!