As the World takes cognisance of the International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children which falls today (April 30), the question again arises: where does Pakistan stand in protecting its children from being beaten in institutional settings?
Pakistan’s issue is two-pronged. One, it houses the world’s second-largest out-of-school children’s population at around 24 million; school dropouts mostly report being beaten by teachers as the main reason. Second, due to poverty and large families children work in various institutional and domestic settings where they are subjected to severe violence and there are cases of even murder.
The Sindh Province Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Act 2016 prohibits corporal punishment in schools, alternative care settings and daycare. After the bill was passed, it took till July 2021 to finalise the rules of business. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010, which prohibits corporal punishment in schools. The Gilgit Baltistan Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Act prohibits corporal punishment in schools, alternate care settings and daycare.
At the federal level, the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Act, 2021 was passed in a joint session. I had tabled the bill in 2019 and it took more than two years of constant lobbying inside and outside parliament. The passage of the bill was seen as a historic moment by the international media. The bill details penalties for beating children, and bans all types of corporal punishment in: one, educational institutions where any kind of instruction is imparted in a formal or non-formal way, whether full-time or part-time, including boarding houses and madrassas. Two, a workplace is identified as a place where an organisation or employer operates, including shops, workshops, farms, residential hotels and restaurants. And, three, foster care, rehabilitation centres and any other alternative care settings, including the juvenile justice system.
‘Corporal’ or ‘physical’ means any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain and discomfort, however light it may be. It involves smacking, slapping, spanking with hands or whip, stick, or belt, wooden spoon etc as well as kicking, shaking, throwing a child, pinching, pulling hair or boxing ears, forcing a child to remain in uncomfortable positions, burning and scalding.
The bill even details non-physical forms of punishment that are cruel and degrading. The rules were framed and passed by the cabinet and launched in May 2023. Unfortunately, the law awaits implementation by the Federal Ministry of Training and Education. The same goes for the other provinces, which have the legislation but no track record of implementation.
The most recent global attention to this was given at the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children – hosted by the Governments of Colombia and Sweden and supported by Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO) – in Bogota, Colombia. The conference brought together representatives from 130 countries, including survivors, children and community activists. It is seen as a positive step forward, with key takeaways focused on revitalising national commitments, launching new initiatives and strengthening political will to end violence against children.
Violence can severely impair a child’s ability to thrive and may increase the risk of them becoming perpetrators themselves in adulthood. There is widespread recognition that physical violence – or even the threat of it – affects children in every country, community and culture around the world. Tragically, much of this violence takes place in educational settings, often at the hands of teachers and caregivers. While corporal punishment by school staff is not the only form of violence faced by children in schools, it is among the most egregious and harmful.
As well as violating children’s rights, overwhelming evidence shows that the use of corporal punishment has serious negative impacts on children, including their educational achievements. A recent study found that the brains of children who had been spanked were altered in the regions that regulate emotional responses, the same regions that change in children who had experienced sexual abuse, physical violence or psychological maltreatment, typically viewed as ‘worse’ than spanking.
Currently, 68 countries have fully prohibited corporal punishment, while 27 have committed to reforming their laws to achieve a complete ban. Sixty-seven countries, mostly in Europe and Latin America, have taken measures to ban. Today, on the International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children, Pakistan should pledge to support all provinces to legislate and implement, and budgetary provisions should be made for doing so. Laws must lead to implementation
Laws alone are not enough. To be effective, the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools must be supported by a comprehensive set of measures that foster a culture of teaching and learning free from violence. The passage of such laws should serve as a foundation for implementing national strategies, which must include strong political will and regular assessments of progress.
First, widespread and sustained public education and accessible awareness-raising campaigns are essential to clearly communicate the purpose and implications of the law.
Second, clear guidance and training must be provided to teachers and other school staff, equipping them with positive, non-violent disciplinary strategies.
Third, independent reporting mechanisms – such as child helplines – should be available to children, staff, and others, with protections in place for those who report incidents of corporal punishment.
Finally, a robust monitoring strategy is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the law and ensure compliance, including regular public opinion surveys and consultations with children.
School should be a place of hope and opportunity, where children are safe to learn and develop the skills and experiences they need to thrive. Corporal punishment is incompatible with that vision. Making the physical and degrading punishment of children unlawful should be central to the efforts to tackle illiteracy and poverty. The state of Pakistan should rise to the occasion, and the private sector needs to be a partner. This is about Pakistan and its future.
Article (Opinion) Published in News Daily on 30-April-2025.
