Gone are the days when a teacher carried a stick while entering the classrooms. Nowadays, at least in schools of urban areas in Nepal, punishment specially corporal is restricted or banned. Teachers while recruiting at schools are already informed regarding the punishment to student physically. But how easy or difficult it has made for teachers to teach in the classrooms is a crucial question that stands firmly? As for me, teaching in classroom without punishing students has been a tough task. Not because I want to rule them, not because I hate children and not simply to keep myself superior. It has been quite difficult for me to make them understand without system of punishment or sense of fear. May be i had been habituated by my teachers to punish me and my fellow friends and the same I am following but I don't find this notion quite reasonable. Moreover, I think that every change that is gradual implements correctly.
Let me give one example. When I enter classroom, stuents show no or less concern about my presence, do side talks with their friends inspite of my high pitched voice. In the bigger school of urban, students' attention is not on the teachers because they do not have fear at all. Parents of city area love their children extremely and when the result comes poorer, again parents will come to school against the teacher arguing why their child failed. This state of panic and misery, the innocent teacher has to face. He can neither use the tool of his own nor can he face the parents' disapproval of their childern's results. Some holistic education trainers may give out some alternatives to punishment in schools like detention, extra homeworks but in a country like Nepal where till few years back punishment was part of teaching, how can we totally wipe out and pertain more qualitative education than before.
System of Reward and Punishment is almost being applicable in all sectors. This does not mean I have great sense of urge regarding punishing students instead I want students to grab knowledge and information shared by teachers properly. There is a saying: "Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom". I do not believe in God but I believe in teachers. Hence "Fear of teacher is the beginning of wisdom" will be more applicable. The term fear I don't mean 'formidable' or 'frightening' figure for teachers. Teachers should be student friendly but they should not be too friendly as well whereas students should be vested the rays of fear for teacher figure. Most students of secondary level show less or no respect to teachers. They do not show slight sense of fear towards teachers. This deterorites their understanding in subjects and ultimately leads even to failure in exams.
I may sound traditional or conventional in this approach but my concern is: How the culture can be changed drastically? It surely needs time. If we now implement rules of "No Punishment At All" in Nepal's case, we can not impart quality education. Some new educationatists may blame me as an irresponsible teacher or "Not up-to-date of Global Learning". Whatever may be, my focus is that lets create or make limitations of punishment for some years. System of "No Punishment" can be implemented slowly after its intensity is decreased gradually. Academically sound schools have faced lots of trauma and trouble while implementing system of "No Punishment". For them my message is: "Lets create limitation of punishment for now and after few score years, we will eradicate punishment totally." But the revolutionary change from "Use Punishment" to "No Punishment" will be a total failure and lead to nowhere.
students' right to Learn with dignity, to Promoting responsibility for learning, fostering knowledge construction instead of knowledge transformation are some of the reasons of wiping out corporal punishment from our school.
ReplyDeletestudents' right to Learn with dignity, to Promoting responsibility for learning, fostering knowledge construction instead of knowledge transformation are some of the reasons of wiping out corporal punishment from our school.
ReplyDelete