It seems that government agencies are starting to listen to children, and from now on children are going to have a bigger part in school inspections, I am not sure whether this includes private schools though (unfortunately for St James pupils).
This recent vote by MPs indicates that not all are as aware of the impact of violence against children as they could be IMO. I do not share Martgaret Hodges confidence that all adults know the 'world of difference between a light smack and violence or abuse'. I am sure that when the St James and St vedast teachers disciplined children, they didnt think they were being violent or abusive.
Pasted from the Children's Rights Alliance website, http://www.crae.org.uk/
PARENTS CAN KEEP ON HITTING BABIES AND CHILDREN
In the House of Commons, on November 2 [2004], 75 MPs voted to give babies and children the same protection as adults from assault. Four hundred and twenty four MPs voted to keep the archaic 'reasonable chastisement' defence. Labour MPs were not allowed a free vote on equal protection.
The Children's Minister, Margaret Hodge, led the Government's opposition to equal protection, arguing that, "There is a world of difference between a light smack and violence or abuse".
When young children were consulted by the National Children's Bureau and Save the Children UK, they described powerfully how smacking hurts, physically and emotionally.
?It feels like someone banged you with a hammer.?
5 year-old girl
?Sometimes if you smack, if it was an adult like my daddy, he can smack very hard ... he can smack you like a stone ... and you?ll cry.?
7 year-old boy
?I was just thinking that if they changed the law then a lot of people will realise what they had done to their child and they would probably?be happy that the law was changed. If they don't change the law they will think 'oh well, the child doesn't mind so we can keep on doing it'. But if they realise that children have been talking to adults about it then I think they will definitely realise that it hurts their child and they will be very upset with themselves.?
7 year-old girl
The Government has promised to review the law in two years' time, and to consult parents.
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If your MP is one who voted against giving babies and children the same protection as adults from assault - then IMO we should write to them to persuade them otherwise.