Humiliating or publicly insulting a child is a gross violation of child rights and should be treated as an offence, the Kerala State Child Rights Commission has ruled. The commission said the police should register a case, if needed, against the perpetrators when such instances are brought to their notice.

The rights panel was hearing a complaint against authorities of an English medium school in Wayanad for ill-treating a Class III student, earlier this year. According to the complaint, the nine-yearold child was in front of the school assembly and shamed for sporting a unique hairstyle.

The authorities reportedly pointed out the hairstyle before the assembly and rebuked the student in front of 800 other students. Though the school principal is empowered to ensure discipline on the campus, action should be taken in proportion to the gravity of the indiscipline.

Humiliating a child publicly will cause mental agony and lower the child’s self-esteem, the Commission’s division bench comprising K Nazeer and B Babitha noted. The Commission directed the Director of General Education, Regional Director, CBSE and the ICSE Secretary to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in schools.

The panel issued the order after a nine-year- old child was shamed in front of the school assembly for sporting a unique hairstyle. Humiliating a child publicly will cause mental agony and lower the child’s self-esteem, it observed