This is in reference to
the last week suicide committed by a young female student of Mapusa School
after she was caught for copying in the examination. When she was put to shame
openly in the School, she took poison for being unable to bear the unbearable humiliation.
Just as corporal
punishment is banned in schools so too the “naming and shaming openly” for
students caught copying should be banned though copying is wrong.
Corporal punishment was
officially banned with an official decree by the last Portuguese Governador of
Goa, His Excellency Vassalo e Silva, a great lover of Goa and an educationist
who made Portuguese education compulsory somewhere in 1957 for any child
attaining the age of 6. When he came to Goa, corporal punishment for students was
rampant without any mercy. In my village
it was brutally implemented in my Parochial School and also in Portuguese
school where one of my Professors Eduardo D’Souza who when found guilty of
breaking the Eardrum of one local student with a Boxer’s blow, the government decreed the law banning the
corporal punishment.
In my school at Arpora
under Fr. Mendonca as a Principal of that great School, corporal punishment was
inflicted very brutally. Students found copying
during the examinations were displayed like hardened criminals in every
examination class and heavily caned on both the palms in addition to Zero marks
in that particular subject besides being totally humiliated which affected the
students mental outlook verily severely more due to the extreme humiliation. Because of this cruel punishment many students suffered physical
and mental pain and unbearable humiliation that forced them into leaving not
only their schools, villages and
localities but Goa too. That was the sad
part of our history.
The harsh punishment in
schools during our time as students was tolerated because that time was different when human
rights were not followed that strictly but now the time is changed. Treating a girl with shame and humiliation is
not good and it is not acceptable either though her act of indiscipline is not
correct.
In view of this, I feel
all the heads of the schools in Goa must follow the decent, humane and civilised methods to correct the erring students.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
