Corporal Punishment to be Abolish

Education officials have announced the intention to abolish the practice of corporal punishment in the next 14 months.

Educators will now need to source creative methods of administering discipline within the schools system, following the announcement of intent to suspend corporal punishment by the Ministry of Education.

The decision was taken by cabinet conclusion, with endorsement of the suspension and eventual abolition of corporal punishment in schools, with the former effective May 1^st, 2019, and the abolition expected to become effective as of May 1^st 2020.

Commenting on the decision taken Chief Education Officer Ruffina Charles notes that the decision is in keeping with many conventions signed with international agencies, citing the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of a Child, of which Saint Lucia is a signatory as an example.

Director of Gender Relations Janey Joseph said the step taken was to ensure every effort to protect students by maintaining child friendly environments is administered.

Meanwhile the need for re-examining the approach to discipline outside of the school environment has been outlined as a necessary by one healthcare professional.

Clinical Psychologist Ginelle Nelson, commenting on the impact of corporal punishment on children, notes that the elimination would be a move in the right direction.

According to Nelson, every effort should be implemented to ensure that children are protected.