Beating kids must stop
Nov 07, 2006
SIR — For a number of years, I have been following closely any development taking place in Uganda, due to the fact that my three sponsored sons live there.
SIR — For a number of years, I have been following closely any development taking place in Uganda, due to the fact that my three sponsored sons live there.
Before starting my relationship with these children, I would never have thought about the issue of corporal punishment as this is such a rare occurrence (and officially outlawed) in Europe.
I was, naively maybe, expecting the same in Uganda. I have discovered that it is sadly not the case. I have recently felt compelled to personally express my approval to the Minister for Education and Sports, Mrs Namirembe Bitamazire for taking a strong public stance against the beating of children in schools.
I was truly appalled to read that a young girl became paralysed after sustaining a severe beating from her teacher. And the horror stories abound.
Though beating of students is strictly forbidden by law, teachers still resort to it regularly. So not only are beatings still taking place, the teachers are also asking the unfortunate children not to say anything about it or be liable to further punishment. In short, they ask them to withhold the truth, one step away from asking them to lie. Does anyone, apart from the minister, realise the
extensive damage done to these children? Has anyone, who has ever beaten a child, stopped to think what the terrible consequences are for the child?
The messages are really appalling: beating a child means it is right to solve problems with violence: it is right to physically bully someone weaker than you; it is right to show total lack of respect to someone younger than
you; children are not worth listening to; their voice count for nothing and so on. Violence breeds violence.
Everyone is lamenting when violent conflicts erupt on the African continent. Has anyone ever thought of linking violence in the home and at school to the violence perpetrated by the adult population? The children receiving the beating today are the ones who will dispense it tomorrow. And when a gun replaces the stick, these people will readily use it, as violence is a territory they know well.
Beating children hurts them physically, emotionally and spiritually. A beaten child is one who is losing trust in adults, who is turning into a liar to save himself a beating. Lying in all areas of life is a natural derivative. A beaten child is a child losing faith in himself, his capabilities and in humanity.
A beaten child is an angry young human being who already wants to seek revenge for the unjust treatment of his young body and who does not hesitate to vent that anger by proclaiming that he wants to kill someone after the beating. This is not an issue to be taken lightly.
Isabelle Gravenstein
UK
Before starting my relationship with these children, I would never have thought about the issue of corporal punishment as this is such a rare occurrence (and officially outlawed) in Europe.
I was, naively maybe, expecting the same in Uganda. I have discovered that it is sadly not the case. I have recently felt compelled to personally express my approval to the Minister for Education and Sports, Mrs Namirembe Bitamazire for taking a strong public stance against the beating of children in schools.
I was truly appalled to read that a young girl became paralysed after sustaining a severe beating from her teacher. And the horror stories abound.
Though beating of students is strictly forbidden by law, teachers still resort to it regularly. So not only are beatings still taking place, the teachers are also asking the unfortunate children not to say anything about it or be liable to further punishment. In short, they ask them to withhold the truth, one step away from asking them to lie. Does anyone, apart from the minister, realise the
extensive damage done to these children? Has anyone, who has ever beaten a child, stopped to think what the terrible consequences are for the child?
The messages are really appalling: beating a child means it is right to solve problems with violence: it is right to physically bully someone weaker than you; it is right to show total lack of respect to someone younger than
you; children are not worth listening to; their voice count for nothing and so on. Violence breeds violence.
Everyone is lamenting when violent conflicts erupt on the African continent. Has anyone ever thought of linking violence in the home and at school to the violence perpetrated by the adult population? The children receiving the beating today are the ones who will dispense it tomorrow. And when a gun replaces the stick, these people will readily use it, as violence is a territory they know well.
Beating children hurts them physically, emotionally and spiritually. A beaten child is one who is losing trust in adults, who is turning into a liar to save himself a beating. Lying in all areas of life is a natural derivative. A beaten child is a child losing faith in himself, his capabilities and in humanity.
A beaten child is an angry young human being who already wants to seek revenge for the unjust treatment of his young body and who does not hesitate to vent that anger by proclaiming that he wants to kill someone after the beating. This is not an issue to be taken lightly.
Isabelle Gravenstein
UK