Dear Editor,
On September 26, 2025, Switzerland passed a law to abolish all forms of corporal punishment of children. With this law reform, they become the 70th country worldwide to enshrine children’s rights to protection from all forms of violent punishment in homes, schools and child-care institutions. It is a milestone for Swiss children – non-violent parenting, non-violent education, and non-violent child-care. Slaps, hits, cuffs, dragging by the hair, or severe verbal humiliation is no longer considered acceptable disciplinary methods but rather acts of violence.
(https://endcorporalpunishment.org/switzerlandprohibitscorporalpunishment/[1])
Here in Guyana, even though the Ministry of Education has issued circulars advising teachers not to use corporal punishment on children, it is still on the law books of Guyana. Only the corporal punishment of children in child detention centres has been legally repealed. In 2007, a motion was moved in Parliament to abolish corporal punishment in schools. After much erudite debate by the honourable members of the esteemed House, the conclusion of the majority was essentially, “Well, we were beaten as kids and we turned out ok,” and the motion was not passed.
From time to time, there are instances of teachers and caregivers using corporal punishment on children which gain bright media spotlight. Much heat and noise and little light are generated for a short time, then the incident is forgotten, and nothing further is heard about any disciplinary and corrective actions taken. The recent public dragging of a child by her hair on the streets of Georgetown by child protection officers is a case in point.
One can only hope that in the current dispensation of Parliament, a motion to abolish corporal punishment will be moved and passed by a majority vote to remove another vestige of brutal colonialism from our society.