Challenges to the Fulfillment of the Right of the Child to be Free from Corporal Punishment in School Setting: The Case of Selected Primary Schools in Kirkos Sub-city
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Date
2019, 2019
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AAU
AAU
AAU
Abstract
The 2015 concluding remark of the United Nations Committee for the Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts that corporal punishment prevails in Ethiopian school system. The lack of awareness about both the rights of the child and alternate disciplining technique is the major reason why children were said to be corporally punished according to Ethiopia’s report to the committee. Therefore, this study intends to explore other factors that challenge the fulfillment of the right of children to be free from corporal punishment in Ethiopian school setting, with particular emphasis to selected primary schools in Kirkos subcity: Felege-Yordanos, Walia, Agazian and Werha Yekatit. In-depth interview, key informant interview and observation are used to collect information in line with the qualitative methodology the study employs. Desk reviews of relevant documents are also used as secondary sources of information. The misconception and attitudes of teachers about corporal punishments in particular and the rights of the child in general, the legal regime that is not explicitly prohibiting family corporal punishment in the family setting, state’s lack of attention and commitment by its executive bodies, the lack of monitoring mechanism of the human rights commission and the lack of knowledge of children about their rights and other major factors are the results of the study. Finally, conclusion and appropriate recommendations are forwarded. Among them is that the right holders, i.e., children should be enlightened of their rights stipulated in the provisions of the convention and the constitution. The issue of the freedom of children from school corporal punishment should be given serious policy and constitutional attention and subsequently this freedom should be reintroduced to mainly the children and other primary stakeholders who engage with them very often and the community at large.
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Keywords
Children, Corporal Punishment, Schools, teachers