Shaming of child hampers growth

THE PROBLEM is ubiquitous but it cannot be ignored. This is not for the first time when a child has received humiliation and punishment at the hands of teacher. But the fresh case in the neighbouring city Kanpur has triggered a wave of reaction among the teachers and the parents here.

THE PROBLEM is ubiquitous but it cannot be ignored. This is not for the first time when a child has received humiliation and punishment at the hands of teacher.

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But the fresh case in the neighbouring city Kanpur has triggered a wave of reaction among the teachers and the parents here. "A girl studying in class IIIrd is too young to be given such a punishment on account of which she suffered humiliation before her fellow students. Parents are responsible if the child is not in her proper uniform or dressed shabbily," said Mamta Dubey, lecturer in Geography at St Anthony's Convent Inter College.

According to the reports, the girl's hair were cut forcibly by her teacher in front of several students as a punishment for not tying her hair and also not following proper hygiene standards. "We teachers take on the role of parents in schools and it is our duty to show the students the right path. There are ways to make a child understand instead of resorting to such extreme step. Such step casts a profound impact on the innocent minds and it may hamper their overall physical and mental development," added Mamta Dubey.

According to psychologist Dr Kamlesh Tiwari, by humiliating a child, teachers try to get rid of their aggression and satisfy their ego but the child faces pangs of guilt. "Either the child becomes very aggressive on attaining adulthood or he/she might develop a suppressed personality on account of deep feeling of guilt. The child may also become the patient of phobia or anxiety. Such actions also have the negative impact on the students who witnessed the incident," added Dr Tiwari.