EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

            

 

Stop corporal punishment

Punish perpetrators

The latest news of a student from an English medium school in the city being beaten and bruised by an administrative official is an eye-opener to the school children's vulnerability to ham-fisted treatment.

Corporal punishment has been banned by the government following a ruling of the High Court that declared it illegal in January this year. Yet we find that some individuals and institutions have not stopped using the cane defying the ban. It is evident that some reputable schools rather than that setting an impeccable example persist in student bashing as if it were a casual matter.

It is an accepted view that corporal punishment of students in the name of disciplining causes different types of emotional problems that could lead to permanent psychological scar on their mind. There have been instances of committing suicide due to humiliation before the peers. Thus not only the young student is affected; the whole family might bear the brunt.

Some teachers and staff of schools still persist in the old-fashioned belief that if they spare the stick the students won't obey them. That is very wrong, for what a friendly teacher can achieve an ill-tempered teacher can only spoil.

However unpleasant the circumstances might get, it is the teaching and other staff that should show maximum restraint to bring things in order. At no stage should they resort to hitting or causing bodily harm to students.

It is time the concerned authorities took steps to identify the schools where corporal punishment is yet to abate. Then take a step to impart appropriate training to the teachers to help them understand and apply right techniques to handle students. Regular monitoring of schools in this regard should be introduced by the education directorate all over the country. The teaching and other employees of the school should be made to appreciate that soft and considerate approach can do miracles instead of applying force, which always has a bad ending.

Begum Zia's 'no' to talks

She can only gain from joining

Begum Khaleda Zia's decision to boycott the proposed inter-party talks on constitutional amendments though not surprising, is certainly disappointing. The Leader of the Opposition has assumed, without any argument to back up her stance, that the talks proposed by the parliamentary special committee on amendments have something 'conspiratorial' about them. She suspects 'a dark design' hidden in the proposal. It is our belief that the nation as a whole -- and that includes everyone who believes in a maturing of democracy in Bangladesh -- is keen on seeing a consensus arrived at on the matter of the constitutional amendments. There can be no denying that the issue has serious ramifications for the future and it becomes the moral responsibility of all parties to come together on it in the interest of pluralism.

We think it is only appropriate that the BNP chairperson reconsider her position for some very significant reasons to get her ideas across. In the first place, she leads the opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad, which in essence means she and her party speak for a good number of people in the country. In the second, she has been prime minister in the past and, we dare say, certainly looks forward to holding that position again in future. In the third, and most importantly, it is the future of democratic politics which will be served by the ruling party and the opposition cooperating on such vital issues as constitutional amendments. Begum Zia owes it to the people to let them know her position on the constitution in a manner befitting her present position in parliament. Democracies are more than an exercise of power by the ruling party. They are also a demonstration of how a strong and effective opposition can keep a government on the defensive on matters of public interest, besides informing the nation on where it stands on national issues.

The invitation to Begum Zia and to other political leaders by the parliamentary special committee is surely commendable. The BNP, as the leading opposition, should now come into the public discourse on the constitution and enlighten the people on how it looks at the matter. Begum Zia must present her views to the committee rather than prejudge the outcome of the talks. She will then be in a position to gauge the government's seriousness on its offer to the opposition.