APRIL 30 was the International Day to End Corporal Punishment — one that could slip into obscurity unless pulled into the light with the urgency required to end cyclical, intergenerational violence.

In workshops with teachers in Islamabad Capital Territory, a question of interest has been whether they themselves experienced classroom-based corporal punishment in childhood. In government schools, over 70 per cent said yes; for community schools, the response was nearly 100pc. Years later, the memory of individually experienced violent or humiliating punishment was both vivid and fresh. ‘Math teacher, Grade 6 — twisted my little finger right around, and I ran from her class and never felt I could do math.’ ‘Class assembly — teacher hit me because I mispronounced Urdu words, and then I lost the confidence to speak.’

Nearly every time, the transgression was minor and, sometimes, an involuntary mistake, but the punishment left a lasting imprint. For some teachers, the impression was that corporal punishment pushed them to do better, and fear of the stick helped them become the people they were. Whether that or individual motivation drove success, what we do have evidence for is that the experience of corporal punishment in childhood makes it more likely for adults to become perpetrators in turn.

If children experience violent discipline, they internalise it as a legitimate way of asserting authority. This can enter their interactions with other children, so that they resolve conflict or assert dominance through violence in the playground and at home. It can also affect their relationships in the long term and is linked with a higher incidence of domestic violence in adulthood. There’s also a higher risk of aggression and violence at the societal level. That is why, to this day, violent discipline is the norm in schools in Pakistan.

It’s time to reconstruct the idea of school as a sanctuary.

This is not to say that the practice is always rooted in malice; many teachers actually see it as a tool for instruction. Often, they can be asked to use it by parents who want their children to learn better. In reality, a meta-analysis of studies over 50 years by End Corporal Punishment showed there is no evidence that such punishment leads to better educational outcomes. Instead, it contributes to poorer cognitive development, lower socioemotional development and worse educational outcomes overall, as it is linked with a higher risk of dropout. In a Pakistan-based study, 93pc of 1,700 respondents cited corporal punishment as a major cause of dropout. For children who are already at risk of being out of school, being beaten at school can actually tip the scales — why would they attend?

In a country facing an education and learning crisis, and with alarming numbers of out-of-school children, there is an urgent need to address this. Motivation to attend and stay in school can be built by ensuring positive perceptions of the classroom experience, with teachers as role models and attachment figures. A love for learning cannot be built on the foundation of fear.

A gentler world, then, can start with a compassionate classroom. This is more important than ever in an increasingly fractured world, where violence and polarisation are on the rise. Now is the time to reconstruct the idea of school as a sanctuary, where children are protected and given the space and support to learn, explore their best selves and express ideas with confidence.

To move towards this, there are already some trailblazers in terms of legislation. In Islamabad and Sindh, corporal punishment is prohibited in learning spaces, including schools, madressahs and daycare facilities, while in Gilgit-Baltistan, the prohibition exte­nds to home sett­ings. There is a need for similar legislative steps across the country, as this lays the foundation for change.

However, in order to start shifting deeply entrenched practices, legislation must be accompanied by real communication with teachers and caregivers. The experience of delivering ‘Maar Nahi Pyaar’ workshops with teachers showed that against the backdrop of the new laws, sharing knowledge of alternatives to corporal punishment, such as positive discipline and classroom management, can actually change behaviour. If policy-level reforms can translate into safeguarding systems at the school level, with the management on board and mechanisms to report and address complaints, it can help drive accountability and ensure that legislation means something on the ground.

Changing underlying attitudes and beliefs is a far more difficult task. However, if teachers can re-examine the experience of the violent or humiliating punishment seared in their memories, look at it through a different lens, and then question their own approach, perhaps the cycle can end with them.

The writer is CEO of Cities for Children, an organisation that works to protect childhood.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2025