The Kerala State Child Rights Commission has said that embarrassing a child in public or in school is a gross violation of a child’s rights. It will be treated as an offence from now onwards.
The order was issued on a complaint filed against a school in Wayanad district for allegedly humiliating a nine-year-old boy in front of the school assembly for sporting a particular hairstyle.
It directed the Director of General Education, Regional Director of the CBSE, and the ICSE Secretary to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in any schools.
“Embarrassing a child in public will cause mental agony and lower the self-esteem of a child and is a gross violation of his rights and is an offence,” a division bench of the panel comprising K Nazeer and B Babitha said.
“The complaint said that the third standard student was suspended for three days after being scolded in front of an 800-member strong school assembly by showing his hairstyle,” the commission said in a release.
It observed that even though the school principal has the authority to maintain the discipline of the institution, the action should be taken in proportion to the gravity of the indiscipline.
