-Hussain says teacher given seven days for written explanation, apology
Child protection agency, ChildlinK, has come out in strong condemnation of an incident on May 16 where several students at Queen’s College (QC) were flogged for alleged bad behaviour.
In a release yesterday, ChildlinK called for a thorough investigation into the incident where 10 QC students were flogged for supposedly bad behaviour. It noted that the teacher was reportedly sent on paid administrative leave to allow for the matter to be investigated, and expressed the hope that further details will be made available to understand how the school is addressing this matter.
Yesterday, Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain told Stabroek News “the issue has been formally documented”. He added that the teacher has since been given seven days to provide a written explanation and apology.
ChildlinK is a local non-governmental organisation that works towards the protection of children against abuse and exploitation, including physical, sexual, emotional, neglect and commercial.
The release argued that the flogging of children as a form of discipline has been long discredited by numerous local and international organizations, including the United Nations and UNICEF. However, it recognised that despite the fact that flogging has been recognized as a clear violation against and abuse of children, the practice persists in homes and schools, across Guyana.
According to ChildlinK, Guyana has taken some steps to address the delivery of education with many new schools and access to training for the staff and the education bill in 2008, but has kept the issue of corporal punishment on its books. It emphasised that flogging is the perpetuation of violence which is a learnt behaviour, and speaks of deep psychological issues. “It is very unfortunate that a senior teacher of one of Guyana’s top high schools cannot identify and correlate the violence that is perpetuated against women and girls with the flogging of young boys.”
The release noted that one of the most troubling aspects of corporal punishment is its normalisation within Guyanese society which not only legitimises all forms of violence against children, but undermines efforts to promote non-violent forms of discipline, conflict resolution and correction of behaviours.
However, ChildlinK did acknowledge that enforcement mechanisms remain weak, and cultural attitudes towards corporal punishment have been slow to change.
As far as the organisation is concerned, the flogging of children has no place in a modern, progressive society like Guyana and as such, the Ministry of Education should strongly consider taking a more proactive approach to have this “de-humanizing behaviour” removed from its policy. It advocated that more comprehensive measures are needed to effectively eradicate this harmful practice and ensure the protection and well-being of all children in Guyana.
“Flogging children is a violation of children’s rights, it is abusive humiliating and perpetuates cycles of violence and inequality. By condemning and actively working to eradicate corporal punishment, Guyana can create a safer and more nurturing environment for its youngest citizens, where their rights are respected, and their potential is allowed to flourish,” the release added.
