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Summary: West Africa: survey finds eight out of ten children suffer regular beatings in school. For millions of children in Africa, education is their only chance of escaping a lifetime of poverty. But for many this dream turns into a nightmare at school. In the West African republic of Togo for instance school children are learning first-hand about sex, violence, humiliation and child labour. According to a new report, published today by the leading children’s charity Plan, more than 8 out of every 10 children surveyed suffer regular beatings from their teachers at schools in Togo. The 50-page publication, Suffering to Succeed? details the many forms of violence against children in schools, some as young as five years old, including forced labour, psychological intimidation and sexual abuse, even rape. A nine-year old girl told Plan about an experience of being beaten by a teacher: “….he hit me and beat me on the back until I was bleeding. My clothes were wet with blood and I was crying.” Over half the children interviewed reported threatening behavior or the threat of physical violence by teachers, and one girl in 25 said that she had suffered sexual violence at school. Tom Miller, Plan’s CEO says: “Children who get regular beatings often exhibit very dysfunctional behavior, and may become violent themselves. If they are terrified of physical punishment, or suffering from psychological trauma, they focus on pleasing the teacher instead of acquiring the skills and knowledge they need.” A primary school child said: “If the teacher hits me, everything immediately goes from my head. Even if I had lots of ideas before, the moment he hits me, I lose everything – I can’t think.” The study says that crumbling educational infrastructure, poorly trained and poorly paid teachers, as well as a culture that tolerates violence against children all conspire to make school a dangerous place for children in Togo. Even worse, the sexual violence against girls in Togolese schools often goes unpunished, breeding a feeling of impunity among the male teachers and fellow students involved. Indeed the on-going cycle of violence in schools undermines the very fabric of school life, with children increasingly aware that success depends not on hard work but on a series of trade offs between themselves and their teacher. Plan has discovered that the expression “notes sexuellement transmissibles” (sexually transmitted marks) is in widespread use in secondary schools. This play on words reveals a sad truth about how youngsters see the sexual favours many male teachers expect in exchange for the grades they give teenage girls. “Sexual abuse is a powerful barrier against girls’ education because it can force girls to stop going to school,” says Tom Miller. “And as well as the physical and emotional trauma that goes with unwanted relationships, many girls also have to suffer the consequences of teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases like HIV.” But children are trying to fight back, forming self-help groups to counter the prevailing culture of intimidation. And children have also been involved in the drafting of a new proposed Children’s Code that makes corporal punishment illegal in schools. Plan is supporting these efforts, working with children and their parents to help them stand up to their abusers. It is also working with the government and teachers at all levels to address the problem. “We have shared our report with the Togo government, “says Tom Miller. “And we are working with children as well as government representatives to make schools into safer places.” The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that governments should protect children from all forms of physical or mental violence, including sexual abuse. More information
pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/plan_ed_togo.pdf