September 1, 2019
Yesterday evening, at my home, I was taking a Hindi reading class of three children (all siblings) aged 5-10 years, whose parents migrated to Delhi from a village in Uttar Pradesh about two years ago. The children got admitted in “age” appropriate classes in nearby government primary school run by South Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The youngest boy was trying to read a the two-letter Hindi word “डर” (fear). For the sake of discussion, I asked the two older children, whom they are afraid of the most “आपको सबसे ज्यादा डर किससे लगता है?”. The shy oldest boy, who is enrolled directly in third grade last year, replied “madam and साँप (snake), and the 8-year-old girl replied “teacher and मगरमच्छ (crocodile)”. Taken aback, I asked the boy, why you are scared of your “madam”. He says she hits him with scale every day! I could see the fear, pain and helplessness in the boy’s eye. Having directly admitted to class 3 last year, with no background on numbers or English language and no one at home to teach him, he is unable to perform the complex tasks the teachers ask him to do. And the consequence—get the beatings with the scale!!
Section 17(1) of Right to Education (RTE) 2010 clearly stipulates that no child shall be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment. The section 17(2) further stipulates that whoever contravenes of sub-section 17(1) shall be liable to disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to such person.
However, talking to a few children from government primary schools in the capital city will tell one, how rampant the physical punishment and mental harassment is in these schools. And it hardly gets noticed.
Hence, the only sections that are being religiously implemented are Section 4 of RTE Act (201)—which is regarding admission of children above 6 years of age who are first admitted in school at “age-appropriate” class and Section 16 (automatic passing on of student to the next class). The other provisions of Section 4 regarding the provision of remedial classes and section 17 regarding a complete ban on physical punishment or mental harassment are yet to be implanted in most of the schools.
The consequences are ‘catastrophic’ for the child, the very child whom the act wanted to benefit the most