Corporal punishment in schools has been banned in India since 2010.
Despite the ban such punishment keeps taking place with tragic consequences which get reported in our press and there just does not seem to be any end to it. If anything the brutality seems to be increasing. Untrained teachers, money making schools more interested in quantity over quality catering to two income households who are only too happy to see the children being disciplined in schools and many other sociological factors play their respective roles in this mess. The latest instance to hit the headlines shows how totally unqualified persons become teachers for want of alternative sources of income,
My views on this subject have been very clearly and unambiguously brought out in my post Corporal Punishment And Mr. Kuruvilla jacob that I wrote around the time that the punishment was banned in India.
I have not changed my views but am pleased to see many young parents from among my friends and relatives approaching child rearing in a holistic manner where it is unlikely that their children will face tragic consequences of corporal punishment.
Ashok who has suggested this topic is a young socially conscious activist lawyer who is doing a lot of good work in this and other related areas and it is to be hoped that such initiatives from the non government sectors will bring about the massive holistic changes that will be needed in the total country. I doubt that merely legislating on the subject will bring about any meaningful change.
I hope that you enjoyed reading my take on this subject which was chosen by Ashok for the weekly Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where five of us write on the same topic. The four other bloggers who write regularly are, in alphabetical order, Ashok, gaelikaa, Maxi, and Shackman. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, do give some allowance for that too!
Corporal punishment whether dished out by parents or teachers is unacceptable. It achieves zilch.
I remember (must have been about seven or eight) when someone got punished on my behalf. I was mortified. In those days, as the teacher entered the room we stood up and said “Good morning, Mr/Mrs Soandso”. We then sat down. The boy behind pulled the chair – literally – from underneath my descending little bottom. Boy oh Boy did I hit my head as my bottom missed seat. The teacher’s name (translated) Mrs Judge which makes the story slightly funnier than it is. Judge she did. No jury. She hit that boy really hard (in the face). I know he shouldn’t have done what he did, neither did I understand why he did what he did, but – for me – his punishment was a step too far.
I was once hit by a teacher – it was an accident, he didn’t mean to (in fact I was his favourite pupil, yes, that hated creature – teacher’s pet). It was ok with me. He was exasperated faced with a room full of unruly children. One of those teachers who have no natural authority. My parents withdrew me from school. They had him round, talked to him, probably threatened him with legal action. It broke my heart when this old man, a sweet kind old man, was made to apologize to me. It was truly awful. I hate seeing people humiliated. However, closing the loop back to your post: I do believe that there is nothing more humiliating than corporal punishment. And how grand that the bigger person is usually the one dishing out the punishment? Though, admittedly, my son – he was tiny – once ran out of patience with me whilst I was putting on his shoes. His baby fist whacked me one. Am still laughing at the memory.
Other than: You shall be sorely missed (till the end of July) which is why I have made up for absence by writing a long comment.
Whatever is plaguing you/your family hope it’ll all come out in the wash.
U
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As my post shows, properly administered, punishment is useful in my opinion, but I am now of the opinion that it should be restricted to the home and denied to the schools because of the quality of teachers that one gets nowadays at least, where I live.
it is oh-so-difficult to change the habits of a culture and a lifetime. despite my best intentions i have used corporal punishment on my children but it should be easy to stamp it out among paid professionals by withdrawing employment (permanently) from anyone who is caught.
the very young age of the child makes that most recent story doubly heartbreaking
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That is why I am in favour of the new legislation and urge for its implementation with vigour.
During gym one time in junior high school the coaches took us out on a run around the school’s surrounding neighborhood. We were warned ahead of time not to run on people’s lawns and stay on the sidewalks. After the run when we came back to change from our gym clothes to our school clothes when word came to me that the coach wanted to see me. When I went into his office their were other adults there and he said I had been warned about running in people’s yards and I had been seen cutting a corner by running across a yard. I had not run across any yards but my denial fell on deaf ears. The wooden paddle came out and I got several whacks. It did hurt but the humiliation was the main thing, not to mention the fact that I really was innocent.
But to my point, my mother did not hesitate to use corporal punishment on me when it was needed and trust me, there were times when it was needed but the only time I ever received corporal punishment and can remember the entire nightmarish event was that day in school gym. I have been bitter about it every since.
Regardless of that fact, I personally do not believe corporal punishment belongs in any school. The handing out of corporal punishment remains the sole responsibility and determination of a child’s parents.
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I have had the mortification of being punished for things that I was not responsible for and can relate to your story. Adults could be daft! I also agree with you that corporal punishment should be meted out by the parents and not by the teachers.
When I was at primary school, the headmaster spanked me twice for not knowing enough of the dates of English Kings and Queens. It didn’t improve my interest in history (which was negligible) or my memory of the said dates. It just made me scared of the headmaster and afraid to go anywhere near him. Love is what children need, not punishment.
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I agree that love is needed, but you will see from my link that the man who caned me most was also someone I always respected and admired. He loved his children and therefore his job and punishing was part of what he had to do.
Well, as to your 2010 post, when we were punished in school we were smarter than to mention it at home. We would have been punished again for having caused problems at school. I have certainly changed my views on capital punishment since the years when I was a child and a parent of young children. Times change and we learn. http://wp.me/puPka-7G
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Oops! I misspoke and should have said “corporal punishment”. Capital punishment…an entirely new subject for discussion.
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I did wonder! You are right one led to the other and one simply did not mention it at home. I had forgotten that phenomenon.
PS. I will try and incorporate an Edit facility in the comment section.