- Seema Anand, Child reporter (Released by Children Press Service)
Alternate reporting by children using media tools is a unique strategy pioneered by the Umang group in Uttarakhand to highlight issues surrounding children’s rights that need immediate attention of the policy-makers and others who can secure these rights for them Umang stands for ``Unique Media Approach for a New Generation’’ and comprises child reporters in 13 districts of Uttarakahnd who have been trained by Shri Bhuvaneshwari Mahila Ashram (SBMA) and Plan in five media tools viz. print, radio, films, comics and photography.
Taking an innovative approach by combining the use of media tools and simple research and survey techniques, Umang came up with their first alternate report entitled ``As We See It’’ covering issues of primary education, universal birth registration and discrimination. This is the second report by child reporters of the Umang group under the UNCRC children’s alternate report series.
This time the children have tried to investigate the reality surrounding Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which states that children should not be subject to any sort of physical or psychological abuse in home or in schools. Article 28 (2) of the UNCRC further states that education should be such that it maintains the dignity of the child.
Day-to-day incidents of corporal punishment, bullying and sexual abuse in schools undermine the spirit of the two articles mentioned above which say there should be no violence against children. Under the “Young Hearts Project” child reporters, trained in the use of various media tools through a series of workshops, conducted an extensive survey in select schools in 13 districts (Pauri garhwal, Bageshwar,Almora, Tehri,Haridwar,Dehradun, Nainital,Haridwar, Chamoli, Champawat,Udham Singh Nagar,Rudrapryag, Pithoragrah) of Uttarakhand.
The child reporters, with the help of questionnaire and their media skills, interviewed students, teachers, officials of the education department in these districts on the issues of corporal punishment, gender based violence, bullying, substance abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and discrimination against children and negative and positive aspects of teachers. In every district the child reporters covered around four to five schools.
The responses of all those who were interviewed were documented. A number of case studies were also generated taking up select individual cases. The findings are an eye opener for policy makers as well as those who implement it in schools.
Corporal Punishment widely prevalent
It was very clear that in all the districts and in most of the schools corporal punishment is prevalent. The children are often thrashed mercilessly over trivial issues. This discourages children to come to school. It also affects their learning process, as they are reluctant to ask questions from teachers. Most of the children who were interviewed revealed that they have suffered corporal punishment in one form or the other. In one particular case a student revealed that he was admitted to a hospital for two months after his teacher thrashed him over a trivial issue. The children revealed that they are slapped, forced to stand or sit in painful postures and often beaten by wooden sticks by their teachers. Some of them stopped coming to school after receiving such inhumane treatment at the hands of their teachers. All the children rejected any form of corporal punishment.
A large number of teachers admitted that they use corporal punishment as a tool to enforce discipline and instill fear of the school establishment in children. They found nothing wrong in this. In many schools while teachers and the principal claimed that corporal punishment is not resorted to, the experiences shared by the children belied these claims.
The parents, alarmingly, were not bothered about this problem. In fact many of them endorsed corporal punishment. Though in same cases, some of the parents informed that they had objected to it. In one such case, the father of a victim had to approach the district administration after his son was beaten mercilessly by teachers in the school as the principal refused to address his grievance.
It was also clear that corporal punishment is prevalent at all levels-primary, middle and secondary level. The officials refused to accept that such incidents happen in schools. The problem persists in both government as well as the private schools.
The children, who were interviewed, suggested that teachers should try to explain their mistakes to them. But it rarely happens, according to the survey’s findings.
Bullying is common in Schools - children survey report
Bullying is a common problem in most of the schools. The junior and physically weaker students are worst affected by this. Some of the girl students also reported that they were victims of bullying by their fellow girl students.
The school administration did not seem to take a strong notice of this problem. The parents were also largely unaware about this. In fact, the survey findings clearly show that in most of the schools, students designated as “Monitors” in the class turn into bullies. The teachers patronize them. The reason is that the teachers enforce discipline through these “Monitors”.
In most of the cases, students dislike the “Monitors”. They do not want to interact with them. In some cases senior students bully the junior students. They take away money from them and beat them. The parents are largely unaware about this problem, which their wards face almost on daily basis in the school. The school administration refuses to recognize.
Substance Abuse, an emerging problem
Substance Abuse has emerged as a major and serious problem among young children. What is alarming is that even primary school students are getting addicted to smoking, drinking and chewing tobacco. Some of the students have even discontinued their studies due to this problem.
The parents recognized this as a problem and many teachers also accepted that substance abuse is a problem in their school. However, instead of counseling, in most of the cases the victims are beaten physically in an attempt to scare them so that they should stop smoking or chewing tobacco or consumption of liquor.
Some of the students said they were pushed into this by their friends, some picked up these habits from their members of family. In some cases even teachers were found to be indulging in substance abuse setting bad examples on impressionable minds.
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