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Its a four-page list that will forever change the lives of students in schools across Mumbai. The state education department will put together a uniform punishment system based on feedback from students.
It aims to standardise punishments and check excessive measures like corporal punishment caning, pinching and slapping students.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Basanti Roy, the education inspector of south Mumbai zone (Cuffe Parade to Mahim), and 50 school principals from the zone. Ten students from each of the 50 schools will be asked to list punishments against the offences, in the four-page form.
Four heads
The offences have been classified under four heads Academics, Serious Offences, Damage of school property and Indiscipline. The survey, which began last week, will be completed by April 6 and presented to the education department for implementation in the next academic year June 2006 to April 2007.
The suggestions of the students will be discussed with a panel of counsellors, psychiatrists and other experts and a model set of punishments presented to the education secretary for further action.
Said Roy, The teachers give punishments arbitrarily. What is the point of students writing a statement 200 times, just to fill pages? This will standardise punishments.
Gauri Rathod, a student from Guru Nanak High School, Matunga, is all for strict punishments, The student should be made to stand outside the class for several hours if he is caught misbehaving in class. If its a serious offence, he should be given appropriate punishment without warnings.
Added Raj Aloni, principal of JJ Fort School for Boys, We will go through all the suggestions given by students and will use the sensible ones.
Said Smita Kakan, Deputy Director of School Education, Right now, the survey is at the discussion level. We will have to go through the suggestions before taking any decision on them. Maar padegi
Offences have been clubbed under four heads
Academic offences: Homework not done, inattentive in class, absent during tests, non-submission of books for correction.
Serious offences: Carrying weapons, sexual harassment, bribing peons to obtain question papers, use of banned products.
Damaging school property: breaking windowpanes, damage of laboratory equipment, tearing library books.
Indiscipline
Offences: Coming late to school, keeping long hair, misbehaving in class, writing love notes, bullying, fees not paid on time, dyeing hair, use of abusive language, stealing computer parts, graffiti on walls, forging parents signature etc.
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