9:30 a.m. Children walk into a room where staff from CSAGA are waiting. Children quickly put their skills to work, adding information and colours to cut-out posters they made the previous night.
9:50 a.m. When asked what picture a girl is colouring, she says she is colouring a picture of a mother who hits a girl for not doing well in school. She adds, “When my mom hits me, it’s not painful. But it hurts inside.”
10:05 a.m. Proud and pleased, a student lifts his work showing to his classmates. One of the students says, “I want my dad and mom to see these posters. I know that they love me but hitting is not the right way. I always tell them to talk to me like an adult.”
10:15 a.m. A girl shows CSAGA staff a drawing she and her friend did. The picture, titled ‘humiliation’, shows a mother yelling at a child, calling her stupid. The girl stresses that parents should encourage their children to do better in school, not yell or make them feel bad about themselves.
10:30 a.m. Children post their posters on a school bulletin board. When asked what good will this do, one of the young campaigners replies, “This helps parents know how we feel about corporal punishment. When parents hit us, it hurts our feelings.”
10:40 a.m. Just before lunch, a parent and a group of children swarm around the bulletin board looking at the new posters posted by the young campaigners earlier.
11 a.m. I exit the school’s front gate, recalling what children said to me about corporal punishment, and how hitting and humiliating punishments affect them physically and emotionally. I hope parents will learn that they could raise their children in a positive and warm climate. Parents and even teachers will be better off if they use a parenting approach that teaches children and guides their behaviour positively and respect their rights to healthy development, protection from violence and participation in learning.
Photo by Jack Picone
Blog by Pariphan Uawithya