A distressing video of a teacher hitting students in Peshawar. The clip has ignited a discussion about corporal punishment in Pakistan.
What happened:
In a video, a teacher can be seen physically abusing his students. It is a classroom in Peshawar Model School. Other students appear to be seated at a desk. One of the kids was seen standing in a corner.
The school management:
The school management promised to take action against the teacher, “Violence towards children will not be tolerated. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.” The Peshawar Police claimed they were unaware of the viral video.
Children rights:
The police added that kids’ parents haven’t reached out to anyone. The National Commission on the Rights of the Children Chairperson, Afshan Tehseen, denounced the incident. She further stated that the commission has taken notice of the situation.
What you need to know:
Tehseen emphasised that KP does not have a law dealing with corporal punishment. Rana Asif Habib, a child rights advocate remarked about how the KP child protection statute barely mentions physical punishment. He is also the head of Initiator Human Development Foundation
Why it matters:
According to Rana, the offenders are not punished in Pakistan. He went on to say that the only sanctions against teachers are warnings, promotions, transfers, and suspensions, “There is no other way to end physical and mental abuse in schools.”
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