Stakeholders: Totally ban corporal punishment in schools

DAR ES SALAAM: AS the world marks the International Day to End Corporal Punishment today, the Technical Working Group on Ending Corporal Punishment has called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to take decisive action to completely eliminate the practice in all learning environments in the country.

The call comes amid global statistics showing that nearly three out of four children aged 2 to 14 experience some form of violent discipline at home. The situation is similar in Tanzania, where more than 70 percent of children report having experienced physical violence during their childhood, with schools identified as one of the contributing environments.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam during a press conference, the Chairperson of the Group, Angela Kauleni, said it is high time for the government, through the Ministry of Education, to review existing policies and regulations to ensure a total ban on corporal punishment.

“It is now time to take clear and firm action to end corporal punishment in all learning environments. These punishments do not instill discipline; rather, they undermine a child’s dignity, well-being, and ability to learn,” Ms Kauleni said.

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She added that despite various efforts made by the government to protect children’s rights, there remains a significant gap between commitments and their implementation.

“More than 70 percent of children in the country experience physical violence at a young age. This is not something to be overlooked; it requires changes in policy, mindset, and practice,” she added.

Ms Kauleni stressed the importance of all education stakeholders including teachers, parents, religious leaders, and the media, working together to promote alternative, positive discipline approaches that do not involve violence.

This was seconded by a group member from the Children’s Dignity Forum, Irene Ernest, who represented the forum’s Executive Director, said that while efforts to eliminate this punishment are ongoing, there are also efforts to follow the established guideline of 2002 on administering corporal punishment in schools in order to reduce the harm caused by such punishment.

The guidelines stipulate that any use of corporal punishment must take into account the severity of the offense, as well as the student’s age, gender, and health, and must not exceed four strokes per incident.

They further specify that only the Head of School is authorized to administer corporal punishment. Other teachers may do so only with prior written authorization from the Head of School.

Representing HakiElimu, the Manager for Research, Innovation, and Policy Analysis stressed that numerous studies on corporal punishment have been conducted, and most findings show it has far more negative impacts than benefits.

“Research links corporal punishment to fear, withdrawal, reduced participation, poor academic performance, and long-term emotional and psychological harm.” he added.

UNICEF Tanzania Chief of Child Protection, Miranda Armstrong added that violence has no place in education.

“The evidence is clear that corporal punishment harms children and does not improve discipline…What is needed now is decisive action,” she said.