Shocking! 3-Year-Old Student In Prayagraj Reportedly Dies After His Teacher Did This

One of the most memorable moments for any parent is when their child starts school. But for the family of 3-year-old Shivay Jaiswal, it turned into a devastating tragedy. The child lost his life after allegedly being slapped by a teacher in his school. While Section 17 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, strictly prohibits corporal punishment, this heartbreaking incident raises serious questions about the law’s enforcement on the ground. Read on to learn more.

According to reports, Shivay was crying in his classroom when a teacher took him to his elder brother’s class. There, another teacher tried to calm him down; however, when it didn’t work, she allegedly slapped the 3-year-old, causing him to hit the corner of a bench and lose consciousness. 

Shivay’s father has revealed that he received a call from the school authorities informing him that his son was unwell. He reached the school around 10:15 a.m.; however, the staff had already taken him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The post-mortem reports suggest that Shivay had sustained injuries on the tongue and near his eyebrow. 

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What Is Corporal Punishment?

Corporal punishment refers to the use of physical violence like hitting, slapping, smacking, or spanking to discipline a child. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) defines it as “any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light.” This may also involve kicking, shaking, pinching, scratching, biting, bullying hair, hitting with a belt/stick/ whip, or throwing. 

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 60 per cent of the children in the age group of 2 to 14 years are subject to some form of physical punishment by their guardians. The risks tend to be the same for both boys and girls. Some may also use nonphysical forms of punishment, like threatening, humiliating, ridiculing, and scaring. 

In many countries, including India, corporal punishment is strictly banned in schools, day care, or any other child care institution. 

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How Does Corporal Punishment Affect A Child?

Corporal punishment can drastically impact children, leading to both short-term and long-term effects. These include:

1. Physical harm to the child leading to severe injuries or even death, as is alleged in the case of Shivay

2. Mental health conditions like stress, anxiety, behavioural abnormalities, self-harm, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts.

3. Inability to regulate emotions and solve problems due to a negative impact on cognitive and socio-economic development.

4. Low intellectual achievement, drop in grades, and inability to perform well in academics as well as co-curricular activities 

5. More aggression and anti-social behaviour. 

Now, the question is, do you as a parent feel that physical punishment is the right way of disciplining a child? Let us know your answer in the comments.