BGCM Motions

GFTU BGCM 2019 MOTION 1

AEP - Association of Educational Psychologists

Corporal Punishment of Children in England.

This conference notes the actions currently being taken by both the Scottish and Welsh governments towards introducing legislation which will provide greater protection for children in Wales and a statement from the Children’s Minister in Wales (Huw Irranca- Davies) when he said: "Physically punishing a child is outdated, and is no longer acceptable in a modern, progressive Wales. This is why we are committed to removing the defence of reasonable punishment, which reinforces our long standing commitment to children’s rights, based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.” This conference further notes that the current UK government has not expressed any intention to take similar steps so as to give children in England the same protection as those planned in Wales.

This conference calls upon the UK government to:

• affirm its support for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (of which it is a signatory)

• acknowledge that physical punishment can have negative long term effects on a child’s development (and is ineffective as a punishment)

express its intention to draft proposals for the removal of the defence of “reasonable punishment” in criminal law regarding the use of corporal punishment of children

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