Misbehaving in class? Go, mop the floor, help the gardener

Schools can ill afford to spare the rod and spoil the child. But with the state government and the National Commission of Protection of Child’s Rights (NCPCR) banning corporal punishment, city schools affiliated to state, central and ICSE boards are adopting creative means to discipline children.

The alternative punishments range from miscreants lending a hand in weeding the school garden to helping the school maid clean up floors. Megha Dhurve, a parent of a Powai school student, said, “A few days ago, my son, who is in class VI, got into trouble with his teacher for making mischief in class. I was pleasantly surprised when I came to know that instead of berating him in front of his classmates, the teacher had asked him to go to the school garden and help the gardener plant trees. This really is a constructive way to punish.”

Tridha at Vile Parle, the city’s new-age school based on Rudolf Steiner’s method of teaching, has adopted several time-tested methods to make students toe the right path. “We have several creative ways to discipline students. A serious offence could lead to the student helping out maids in washing vessels or clothes. If a student misbehaves in the classroom, we ask him to step out and help the gardener or the carpenter. It is better to use meaningful punishments instead of ranting at students. These methods work better,” Ruth Mehta, teacher and co-founder of Tridha, said.

At Gopal Sharma International and Memorial School, Powai, wrong-doers are kept out of things they like doing. “We withdraw certain facilities that most students favour, such as PT classes, etc. This way they learn discipline and think twice before committing any wrong,” Gool Ghadiali, principal, said.

Christ Church School, Byculla, has counsellors and teachers who talk it out with the students. “Our teachers are trained in counselling. We talk to the students and get to the root of their problems,” principal Carl Laurie said.

The school also has a system of issuing notes of various colours. “Only in cases of extreme disobedience do we issue them pink or blue notes. The colour of the note signifies the gravity of the mistake. A pink note issued to a student means he could be expelled from school,” Laurie said.