Mr Hammond Oppong Kwarteng, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Children, on Thursday observed that corporal punishment meted out to children in schools by teachers continued to be a major obstacle that affected their performance academically.
The Regional Director made this observation at a day's forum organized by 6th March Women's Foundation, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) for stakeholders in Sunyani.
The forum attended by 30 participants deliberated on issues of violence that affected women and children in the society.
He said corporal punishment had a detrimental effect on the learning of children and greatly prevented students from achieving academic excellence.
He mentioned that global statistics in the year 2002 revealed that 65 percent of school children were reported to have been physical and verbally abused while in school.
Mr Kwarteng said children who got abused in schools had the risk of abandoning their education and later in their adulthood exhibited acts of violence rather than improving on their behaviour.
Mr Kwarteng said punishment perceived by teachers to improve children's behaviour rather ended up destroying their future, adding that, some teachers relayed their emotions from their homes on children in the school, and verbally
or physically abused them at the least provocation.
He urged parents whose children reported acts of abuse in schools to investigate and to protect them from becoming school dropouts.
Mr Kwarteng said children had a right to live peacefully without threat to their safety to enable them to develop their full potentials for their future well -being.
The Regional Director indicated that children, who are victimized, ill-treated and made to suffer other forms of violence in the community, might turn to become perpetrators of violence themselves.
He therefore called on teachers to show love and care to their pupils and students, and refrain from issuing treats which could negatively affect the children in future.
Madam Elizabeth Frimpong, Executive Director of 6th March Women's Foundation, stated that women's role in decision making was very crucial in the society, and called on women to get involve greatly in this year's district assembly elections.