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Spare the rod,
please
Corporal punishment leads to adverse physical, mental and
psychological disorders that emotionally scar the child for life. Think fruit, vegetables, not candy bars, as school snack Campus
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Spare the rod,
please The issue of corporal punishment in schools has taken a new turn in the fast changing educational scenario in our country. The topic is being debated and discussed at length by the educationists and psychologists. But it is a universally recognised fact that punishment in any form in schools restricts the harmonious growth and development of children. It is believed that corporal punishment leads to adverse physical, mental, psychological and educational implications that emotionally scar the child for life. Researches on the potential effects of corporal punishment indicate that it could lead to the development of violent attitudes and actions in childhood and adult life. It could also result in low self-esteem, depression, delinquency — all traits that no parent wants for their children. In March, 2012, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued “guidelines for eliminating corporal punishment in schools”, which appear to be comprehensive enough to understand the concept and meaning of punishment in a school system. It refers many preventive measures and strategies which the schoolteachers, school managements, state education departments and school boards of education, etc., can initiate as precautionary measures in schools to create conducive and joyful learning atmosphere. All these details have been vividly elaborated in this document. The commission has thus made a remarkable contribution in preparing the guidelines. The stakeholders are expected to go through these guidelines in order to protect child rights and create positive learning environment in schools. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child defines corporal punishment as physical force which is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light. Most involves hitting (smacking, slapping, spanking) children, with the hand or with an implement—a whip, stick, belt, shoe, wooden spoon, etc. But it can also involve, for example, kicking, shaking or throwing children, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair or boxing ears, forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions, burning, scalding or forced ingestion (for example, washing children’s mouths out with soap or forcing them to swallow hot spices). In the view of the committee, corporal punishment is invariably degrading. In addition, there are other non-physical forms of punishment that are also cruel and degrading and thus incompatible with the convention. These include, for example, punishment which belittles, humiliates, denigrates, scapegoats, threatens, scares or ridicules the child. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which has come into force with effect from April 1, 2010, prohibits ‘physical punishment’ and ‘mental harassment’ under Section 17(1) and makes it a punishable offence under Section 17(2). The provisions read as follows: (1) No child shall be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment. (2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be liable to disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to such person. Sections 8 and 9 of the RTE Act place a duty on the appropriate government and the local authority to ‘ensure that the child belonging to weaker section and the child belonging to disadvantaged group are not discriminated against and prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education on any grounds’. The RTE Act does not preclude the application of other legislation that relates to the violations of the rights of the child, for example, booking the offenses under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. The first and the foremost step, which the state governments need to take, is to reduce the existing large size of classes. The ideal teacher-student ratio needs to be strictly followed as per the provisions of the RTE. It will enable the teachers not only to control the class effectively but also to help them in making teaching more joyful, lively and effective. It should be made mandatory for schools to have at least one regular, experienced and well-trained counsellor to solve the problems of a student. The parents need to be more responsive and should co-operate teachers in creating better teaching-learning environment in schools. They should also attend parent-teacher meetings held by the school. State education departments should also organise seminars, orientation programmes and workshops in order to update the knowledge of teachers with preventive strategies that they need to follow to improve the teacher-student relationship and create a child-friendly environment in schools. Apart from teaching, teachers and parents are also expected to inculcate moral and ethical values in children. They should also help them to channelise their energies in creative and innovative pursuits. Above all, the teachers should not be overburdened with non-teaching assignments such as collection of student fee, maintenance of school funds and other similar assignments. Their main focus should be on teaching and solving the problems of
students.
The writer is an award-winning teacher |
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Think fruit, vegetables, not candy bars, as school snack Junk food may soon be hard to buy at American public schools as the US government readies new rules requiring healthier foods to be sold beyond the cafeteria — a move most parents support, according to a survey. With childhood obesity rising, the survey found most people agreed the chips, soda and candy bars students buy from vending machines or school stores in addition to breakfast and lunch are not nutritious, and they support a national standard for foods sold at schools. The findings from the advocacy group Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project came as the federal government prepares to roll out a nationwide standard that may set up another battle among health experts, schools and the food industry. The US Department of Agriculture is expected to issue its guidelines by June, according to some experts. These could limit the amount of sugar, salt and fat foods sold at schools could contain. Agriculture Department Under Secretary Kevin Concannon said an important step in addressing childhood obesity is to help make the “right choice an easy choice” while at school. “We look forward to working with parents, teachers, school food service professionals and the food industry to craft workable guidelines so that healthier options are available for our students,” he said. Many states have already enacted their own laws mandating healthier non-cafeteria food options. Jessica Donze Black, a dietician who leads the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, said the results show growing support for updating standards that surfaced in 1979. “What has changed in the last 30 years is that the childhood obesity epidemic has more than tripled,” she said. “The school environment has also changed. ... Today, there are a lot of other places throughout the day that compete with kids eating a healthy school meal.” Eighty per cent of the 1,010 adults polled said they would support nutritional standards limiting the calories, fat and sodium in such foods. Seventeen per cent would oppose it. Most also agreed there are now few healthy options. Just 5 per cent of adults said vending machines offered totally or mostly healthy choices compared with 10 per cent for school stores and 21 per cent for a la carte lunch lines. Changes to school foods may be controversial. New standards for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in traditional school meals announced in January drew scrutiny when lawmakers blocked limits to french fries and counted pizza as a vegetable because it contains tomato sauce. Efforts to give students more healthy options to help fight childhood obesity have historically faced pressure from food and beverage companies and even from schools themselves, who rely on such food sales for extra cash. But health experts, pediatricians and other advocates say that is changing as more companies and school districts come on board at a time when more than one-third of US children are overweight or obese. “Most people accept that soda, candy bars and other unhealthy foods just don’t deserve a place in school on a regular basis,” said Margo Wootan, head of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. She said there are still concerns that members of the Congress and industry lobbyists could water down the proposal. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Laura Jana said new rules are imperative now that kids consume more than half of their daily calories in school. More students are getting most of their calories from snacks and drinks, not meals, she said. Food and beverage makers have expanded their portfolios to include juice, granola bars and other healthier products. Vending machine companies focused on nutritious offerings have also sprung up. US drink companies have already taken voluntary steps to keep sodas out of some schools and their trade group says this has cut calories consumed from beverages in schools by 88 per cent.
— Reuters
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Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak MAHARASHI Dayanand University will conduct its semester system examinations for the undergraduate courses (BA/B.Sc/B.Com) from April 28. According to the Controller of Examinations, while admit cards and cut list will be available on the university website www.mdurohtak.ac.in, the colleges can also download examination-related documents from the website. In case of any technical difficulty, affiliated colleges may contact the Project Manager of NYSA Communications, Kuldeep Srivastava, said an official. Meanwhile, the university will conduct the LLB (annual scheme) examinations from April 25, while the semester system examinations for the BBA/BCA courses will be conducted from May 7. A university spokesperson informed that the date sheets of these examinations will be available on the university website. Workshop on e-techniques
A workshop on the “Application of e-Techniques” concluded here recently at the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management (IGTM) of the university. Dr Radhey Shyam, Professor of Psychology and Director, University Career Counselling and Placement Cell, was the resource person at the workshop. Emphasising the utility of e-tools and web-based resources in research, Dr Radhey Shyam threw light on e-techniques and their applications, including formulating questionnaire, data-savvy techniques with Excel, SPSS software in research, etc. About 200 research scholars and students participated in the workshop. Meanwhile, a workshop on emerging technologies was organised under the aegis of the Department of Computer Science and Applications (DCSA) of the university recently. A technical team from leading software company Crezone Technologies conducted the workshop. Professor R.S. Chillar, Head of the DCSA, said the workshop had been organised to impart latest technical knowledge of emerging technologies to students.
Investment management
The Institute of Management Studies and Research (IMSAR) of Maharshi Dayanand University organised a conference on "Emerging Issues in Investment Management in India" on the university campus recently. According to Prof. H. J. Ghosh Roy, Director, IMSAR, the event was organised in collaboration with the Rohtak Matcom Education Society. The conference focused on various areas like stock market regulators, investment opportunities, equity valuation, debts and derivatives, risk management, and portfolio construction.
Students felicitated
Maharshi Dayanand University felicitated five students who had been selected in the armed forces at a function held at Vice-Chancellor's office recently. The Vice-Chancellor honoured the students who had undertaken training under the aegis of the Youth Centre for Skills Development of the university. The students included Gaurav Chawla, Manish, Vipin Nath, Sachin Tomar and Seema Rani. According to the Project Coordinator of the Youth Centre for Skill Development, Lt. Col. (etd.) D.S. Deswal, as many as 50 students, who had undergone training at the center, have been selected in the various wings of the armed forces so far. Notably, the youth centre was launched on August 14, 2008, to prepare university students for a career in the armed forces. — Contributed by Bijendra Ahlawat
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Arun Kumar Sharma