Corporal punishment still a problem

Some teachers violate guidelines by inflicting pain on children as punishment. The use of corporal punishment or beating of children in some schools in the port city of Douala demands urgent intervention.

The practice does not only violate the fundamental rights of children, but sometimes aggravates health problems and causes children to leave school or seek transfer as was the case in the past.

Corporal punishment is unlawful in schools according to Article 35 of the Cameroon National Educational Guidelines No. 98/004 1998, which states: “The physical and moral integrity of the student is guaranteed in the educational system.

Therefore, corporal punishment and all other forms of violence, discrimination of any kind, and the sale, distribution and consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and drugs, are prohibited.”

Therefore, the continual use of corporal punishment on girls and boys in the guise of discipline shows that many schools choose to teach the violation of rules and mistrust of administration.

A teenage student in Douala said teachers whip with whips or plastic tubes before all other students, usually during morning assemblies. But a Principal argued that the type of punishment depends on the degree of the offence:

“Beating is scarce, but we may do it to dissuade other students.” According to the Vice Principal of Government Bilingual High School, Genie Militaire, Njume Elizabeth, they use alternative forms of punishments like picking litter, cleaning up toilets, tidying up the campus and mopping the floor.

Students who jump over the school fence are asked to buy two sacks of cement as recommended by the PTA. Staff of Government Bilingual High School, Nyalla oblige erring students to stay back and sweep or clear bushy areas after school. Sometimes staff cut open uniforms that do not conform to the prescribed model, trim non-conformist hair styles or ask students to run round the school campus.

Contrary to ‘positive’ forms of punishment such as copying a passage on several pages, dusting benches, fetching water, students in other schools in Douala testified having suffered pain and aggravated health problems from teachers who asked them to pick up pins over several minutes or dig up tree stumps.

When teachers are beaten up by students, the case is referred to the Disciplinary Council. Oftentimes the students are dismissed. Some high school boys said they may be provoked to do so when teachers harass them unnecessarily or ‘seize’ their girlfriends. This, however, only shows that society has lost its values. Respect for elders and teachers seems to not to matter much any longer.