Long demanded by child rights advocates, corporal punishment has been dropped as a method of discipline in schools under the Education Bill 2014 which was tabled in the National Assembly by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand yesterday.
Section 49 of the Bill deals with Maintenance of Order and Discipline in Schools and it says that the principal and staff of a public school shall ensure that order and discipline prevail in accordance with the Manual.
The document referred to, the Manual of Guidelines for the Maintenance of Order and Discipline in Schools, speaks to the right of the schools to maintain order and discipline. It provides detailed provisions dealing with unacceptable behaviour or offences, suspension, expulsion and education in a special school for expelled students.
It says that it is the responsibility of the administrative and non-administrative staff of every school to ensure
