TAXILA: Two education officials in Fatehjang have been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered against them for allegedly subjecting a sixth-grade student to corporal punishment.

The suspended officials have been identified as Mohammad Hanif, headteacher, and Mohammad Saleem, elementary science teacher, of Government Elementary Boys School, Kamra.

The district education authorities initiated disciplinary proceedings against them under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act, 2006, following a complaint lodged by the student’s mother.

Chief Executive Officer District Education Authority Dr Mohammad Azhar confirmed to Dawn the suspension of both officials. He said the action was taken after the mother alleged that her son had been subjected to corporal punishment at the school.

The incident has once again raised questions over the effectiveness of measures taken by the Punjab School Education Department to eliminate physical punishment from classrooms and ensure a safe learning environment for children.

January 23, 2018, was widely regarded as a significant day for schoolchildren in Punjab when the School Education Department issued a notification imposing a complete ban on corporal punishment in all educational institutions across the province.

Despite the passage of years since the ban was formally enforced, reports of students being subjected to physical punishment continue to surface, suggesting that the policy has not been backed by sufficiently effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2026