Teacher punishing students for indiscipline is not abetment of suicide, rules MP High Court

Remembering the days when our teachers used to punish us for our indiscipline, and we obeyed that without questioning them either. Time passed by and rules changed. These days when a student behaves in an improper manner, the teacher is afraid to punish him or her. Reason – the fear that student might take some wrong step.

However, the judiciary has some another opinion to this. Reacting on a judgment, the Madhya Pradesh High Court stated on Friday that ‘if a teacher chastises a child for indiscipline, it doesn’t make a case for abetment to suicide’, reports TOI. The High Court also dismissed the petition of the class tenth student’s uncle, who hanged herself after being scolded by the principal in November last year.

Announcing his order, Justice Atul Shridharan noted, “The principal and teachers don the mantle of a parent during the time the child is in school. Like a parent, who would – and is expected to – admonish a child who errs with the intention of correcting the child, so are the principal and teachers expected to admonish and chastise students when they transgress discipline of the school.”

The girl – who hanged herself on November 14, 2017 – belonged to Kotma town of Anuppur district, was scolded and allegedly slapped by principal R K Mishra for allegedly roaming with two friends outside the school before classes got over. Soon after reached home, she narrated the story to her uncles and hanged herself.

Being refused by the police to register an FIR under section 306 of Indian Penal Code (abetment to suicide), one of her uncle moved to the court with a petition, stating the girl committed suicide out of humiliation as the principal had ‘slapped and scolded her in the presence of two friends’.

Hearing the case, Justice Shridharan said, “It goes without saying that the days of ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ are long gone, but it does not mean that the principal and teachers of a school languidly watch and ignore acts of indiscipline and indiscretions of a child.”

He further added, “Correction by way of admonishment and chastisement, as and when required, remains a sacred duty of those imparting education… Behind every person languishing in prison as a convict are a man and woman who failed as parents and a system of education that could not transcend the three ‘Rs’.”

Stressing the need to emphasise good values in students, the judge observed, “Brilliance without integrity and character is a social and national liability rather than an asset. Schools must emphasise this. Admonishment and chastisement may form an integral part of that exercise. Yes, in the process, it may be natural for the child to feel embarrassed or humiliated, but it is these very emotions that would prevent the child from repeating the mistake.”