In a significant move to transform classroom culture, the Maharashtra state education department has announced a comprehensive training program on positive discipline for all teachers in government and aided schools. The initiative, starting this week, is a direct response to recurring incidents of physical punishment and aims to foster healthier educational environments.
Addressing Classroom Punishment and Teacher Wellbeing
The decision to roll out this statewide training follows documented complaints from parents and child rights bodies over several years. These complaints highlighted instances where children faced punishment for academic shortcomings or behavioural issues. The training, mandated under the guidance of School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, seeks a dual objective: to address the mistreatment of students and to support the mental state of teachers burdened by heavy workloads.
"The training has been conceptualised by SCERT to strengthen emotional safety in govt and aided schools. We have directed all districts to conduct a 45-minute training session on positive discipline in the first week of Dec," Minister Bhuse stated. He emphasized that discipline should stem from trust, not fear, asserting that children learn better when they feel secure, respected, and heard.
Structure and Content of the Training Module
The one-day training module is designed to be a concise yet impactful intervention. It draws its core principles from the article "Positive Discipline: A Challenge" featured in the Headmaster's Manual developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
An official from SCERT involved in designing the program revealed the session's key components. Teachers will be educated on:
- The legal provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act that prohibit corporal punishment.
- Their professional responsibilities and the psychological impact of punitive measures on students.
- Contemporary educational thought on discipline and the science of brain and emotional development.
- Techniques for empathetic communication to build positive teacher-student relationships.
The department has issued strict instructions to education officers to ensure the uniform implementation of this session across all districts, talukas, and clusters in Maharashtra.
A Statewide Push for Compassionate Classrooms
This initiative marks one of the state's most extensive efforts to shift the paradigm of school discipline from coercion to compassion. The state expects over 1 lakh teachers to complete the training by the end of December 2023.
While the move has been welcomed, some educators stress the need for sustained effort. Sunil Turkunde, a zilla parishad teacher from Bhor, remarked, "These sessions need to be followed up and not forgotten in one day. The government has definitely initiated a very good aspect for uplifting teacher wellbeing, but it needs to be a sustained effort."
Experts supporting the initiative warn that physical or harsh punishment has long-term consequences on students' mental health, academic confidence, and school attendance. This new training program represents a proactive step by the Maharashtra government to align classroom practices with the child-centric ethos of the RTE Act and modern pedagogical understanding.
