Paulina Quintao – The results of an assessment conducted by the National Commission for the Rights of the Child (KNDL) in Timor-Leste show that some 67% of children get some form of physical punishment by school teachers in schools.
KNDL Commissioner Maria Barreto said physical violence should not be used by teachers to educate children.
She added the physical violence including such as hitting with a piece of wood, shouting, slapping, pinching, kneeing and other physical punishment occurs most commonly in schools and at home.
"During our assessment in the schools we saw that some teachers use a stick to hit the children," said Commissioner Barreto at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, in Vila Verde, Dili.
She expressed concerns over the practice given the Ministry of Education has a zero tolerance policy for corporal punishment by teachers at schools.
Meanwhile National Member of Parliament MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares urged the ministry of education to provide psychological and pedagogy training to teachers so they employ other methods to discipline child misbehaviour.
"Teachers don't get enough training so they lack knowledge which leads to using violence such as hitting or shouting at children to educate them," said MP Soares. The MP added that apart from physical violence; sexual abuse also takes place in schools.
In response to the concerns raised, Education Minister Bendito Freitas said his ministry is attempting to resolve this situation by providing information to teachers about what other methods can be used that do not require the use of violence to educate children.
He added it will take time to promote a type of education that does not use violence because it is closely connected to people's mentality.
Minister Freitas said his ministry will establish an Ethics Commission to undertake teacher's performance evaluations in particular looking at teaching methods. "We will establish the Ethics commission to look at these issues as we have a Zero Tolerance Policy in place."