Parent, school spar over ‘corporal’ punishment

Chandigarh, January 16

The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR), headed by chairperson Devi Sirohi, today held a hearing of the complaint made by a parent about corporal punishment to their child in Vivek High School. Both the parent and the school management made allegations and counter-allegations against each other.

Sirohi said the school authorities alleged no corporal punishment was given to the child on the day of the incident. The school authorities claimed that the counselling of both the child and the parent was done by the school counsellor in the past as he was a habitual problem creator in the school. She said the panel asked the school to submit the CCTV footage of the day when the incident happened and a detailed report about the counselling they had done in the past.

Contrary to which, the parent today filed a fresh complaint to the commission. Sirohi said as per the complaint, it was alleged that the child was hit on his chest by a senior class student when he went to attend the school recently. 

The child was in trauma and was not going to the school after the incident, the complaint alleged. Last week, the CCPCR told the school that they should allow the child to attend regular classes till the hearing was going on. The school has agreed that on the advisory of the CCPCR, the child would be allowed to attend the school. But during the hearing, the school revealed that the child had attended the school only for two days after winter holidays, Sirohi said. — TNS