A draft bill to amend the Penal Code regarding the physical punishment of children has been submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
According to the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa, once parliamentary proceedings related to this proposed amendment are concluded, the Ministry will take steps to issue relevant guidelines or directives to schools, if such instructions are deemed necessary.
The move comes after the Cabinet recently approved proposals for amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Penal Code to ban physical and psychological injuries caused by physical punishments in any sector.
Meanwhile, a recent report from the World Health Organization said corporal punishment causes significant harm to children’s health and development, revealing that globally, an estimated 1.2 billion children aged 0–18 years are subjected to physical punishment in their homes every year and that the practice in schools is equally widespread. (Newswire)