F.P. Report
Peshawar: In order to avert corporal punishment at government educational institutes, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elementary and secondary education department will establish a dedicated complaint cell to deal with the cases of corporal punishment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa public schools. The body will take immediate action, if required.
Moreover, the education department has also circulated a notification for a toll-free number in all schools and all districts so that parents could register their complaints with authorities.
A notification has also being issued by the education department which states that an employee or teacher, who so ever will be found involved in corporal punishment, shall face the imprisonment for Six years along with heavy fines.
The complaint cell will function under the elementary and secondary education director, while complaints will be received on its toll-free number 0800-33857.
The complaint will be submitted to the director and investigated by the DEO, District Education Officer.
Mr. Musa a father of two, recently got his two sons admitted in Shaheed Mubeen shah Afridi Government Higher Secondary School no 1. Peshawar Cantt, he expressed his views about this initiative, My youngest son who is in grade seven has always been afraid to go to school due to the harsh behavior and physical punishment by the teachers in school.
With this initiative I’m glad I can fearlessly send my child to school. Not only this initiative has built my trust in government schools, but the quality of education, provision of IT Laboratories and other facilities in school has regained my confidence in Government schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Mr. Rafiq Khattak, Director Elementary and Secondary Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, appreciated the provincial government’s initiative and said ”as per the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, 2010, any physical or psychological harm to children is unlawful. He said that there was no act or law functional to tackle the issue of corporal punishment in past.
This initiative will retain students in schools and this will increase the overall enrolment rate and minimize the students drop out due to the fear of the punishments from the teachers. Parents can fearlessly send their kids to school without having any distress of their kid being beaten or punished”.
More than 10,000 teachers including head teachers and teachers have been trained on the activity based learning in classrooms through the early childhood training in government schools. Teachers now have to go through mandatory trainings as a part of their induction process.
This will further strengthen the teacher and student bond in the classrooms. The Elementary & Secondary Education Department is determined to transform the education sector in KP by initiating such reforms that will not only improve the quality education, increase the student retention but also the quality impact for the accomplishment of better teaching and learning outcomes in schools.
