HC Directs TN Government to Implement Guidelines for Eradication of Corporal Punishment

The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to implement guidelines against corporal punishment in schools. These guidelines aim to protect the mental health of children and prohibit any form of harassment. Monitoring committees will be formed in each school to ensure compliance. The government has five weeks to issue a consolidated circular with the guidelines, and the matter will be reviewed on June 14.

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to implement Guidelines for Elimination of Corporal Punishment in Schools (GECP) provided by the NCPCR.

Justice S M Subramaniam gave the directive to the Principal Secretary to Government, School Education Department while passing interim orders recently on a petition filed by Kamatchi Shanker Arumugam, which sought a direction to the authorities to implement the GECP provided by the NCPCR.

The judge said the guidelines were directed to be communicated to all the educational institutions across Tamil Nadu and to the District Educational Authorities, who in turn, were directed to sensitise the authorities, so as to follow the guidelines scrupulously to protect the mental health of the children studying in the schools.

The judge said in this regard, suitable instructions were directed to be issued to the district educational authorities to conduct seminars/awareness camps regarding the guidelines issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), so as to implement the same effectively.

In the event of any complaint in this regard, actions were to be initiated scrupulously by the competent authorities. If any lapse, dereliction or negligence were noticed, the officials concerned must be subjected to departmental disciplinary proceedings under the Service Rules, the judge added.

The court said the idea was not only for elimination of corporal punishment in schools but any indirect form of harassment of the children or circumstances affecting their mental health were also to be taken note of and suitable remedial measures were to be provided by the competent educational authorities.

In order to effectively implement the guidelines, the Principal Secretary to Government, School Education Department shall direct all the district educational authorities to constitute Monitoring Committees in each schools headed by the Head of the Institution, parents, teachers, senior students etc., as decided by the Government and such committees shall ensure the guidelines were implemented scrupulously.

Such committees shall also ensure that any untoward incidents or any different behaviour of the staff members and the children were brought to the notice of the authorities, for initiating remedial measures. The Principal Secretary was directed to issue the guidelines in consonance with the Clauses 7.8 and 7.9 of the GECP.

The judge said the consolidated circular/instructions were directed to be issued within five weeks.

The judge directed the Registry to list the matter under the caption 'For Reporting Compliance' on June 14.

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