Shaharbeen Times, Srinagar: An alarming trend is quietly taking root in several private schools across Jammu and Kashmir—rampant corporal punishment in the Lower Primary Division (LPD), especially in kindergarten classes. This troubling issue, often ignored or underestimated, demands urgent intervention by school authorities, education regulators and civil society. In recent months, numerous informal complaints and anecdotal reports have surfaced from distressed parents and insiders suggesting that young children, some as young as three or four years old are being subjected to verbal abuse, slaps, physical punishment and public shaming in the name of discipline. This is most frequently observed in certain local public and private schools in the Kashmir Valley.
What makes the situation more serious is the inability of these very young children to communicate their trauma effectively. Being too small to understand or articulate the abuse, they often suffer in silence. Many are scared of retaliation, or they simply do not possess the vocabulary to explain what’s happening to them. As a result, such mistreatment often goes unnoticed and unreported.
In most cases, parents only realize something is wrong when their child begins to display unusual behavior—fear of going to school, frequent crying, nightmares, or sudden withdrawal. But by then, emotional damage may already have been done. Exposure to such harsh treatment during early developmental stages can lead to long-term psychological issues such as anxiety, diminished self-esteem, reluctance to learn, and social withdrawal.
Equally disturbing is the fact that when some parents do raise their concerns with the school administration, they are often met with denial, indifference, or subtle intimidation. In certain schools, those accused of such behavior are shielded by the management instead of being held accountable.
This situation calls for immediate systemic reforms and institutional accountability. Shaharbeen Times urges the Department of School Education, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, private school boards, and civil society organizations to take the following urgent steps:
- Enforce a strict ban on all forms of corporal punishment in every school, including private institutions and pre-primary centers.
- Establish an independent grievance redressal system that allows parents and guardians to report incidents confidentially without fear of retaliation.
- Implement mandatory training and sensitization programs for all school staff on child psychology, positive discipline, and ethical behavior.
- Conduct random inspections and audits in schools with a history of complaints to ensure compliance with child protection norms.
- Involve child welfare organizations to monitor and counsel children who may have experienced abuse.
- Introduce child-friendly communication channels in schools so that even the youngest students have safe ways to express their concerns.
Education should be rooted in compassion, encouragement, and understanding—especially at the foundational level of a child’s academic journey. Schools are not military camps, nor are they places for fear and humiliation. Teachers are meant to be mentors and guides, not disciplinarians who rely on physical force.
Let us remember, silence is complicity. Ignoring these signs today could lead to a generation of emotionally scarred individuals tomorrow. Shaharbeen Times stands in solidarity with every parent and child affected by this issue and pledges to be a voice for the voiceless. It’s time to bring this hidden crisis into the light—and end it for good.
