Schools Still Use Violence: India's Corporal Punishment Crisis

Corporal punishment inflicted upon children in educational settings is causing widespread harm, impacting their nervous, cardiovascular, and nutritional systems. It also leads to changes in brain structure and function, mental health issues, and impaired cognitive development. These effects were highlighted in a World Health Organization report.

A 14-year-old student in Chennai, India, recently experienced the severe impact of such punishment. She was subjected to harsh physical discipline by her maths teacher for missing an assignment due to illness. This experience significantly affected her mental health, causing her to fear attending school.

Despite being explicitly outlawed under Section 17 of India's Right to Education Act 2009, corporal punishment remains a prevalent issue in schools across the country. Studies underscore this persistent problem; a 2007 report by the Ministry of Women and Child Development revealed that two out of three school children experienced corporal punishment. More recent data from a 2018 survey in Gurugram indicated that 80% of students from marginalized communities faced similar punishment from educators.