The Federal Government, as the major source of funds for private schools, must bear the responsibility for the dangerous delay in instituting these reforms. Many schools market themselves on the strength of their traditions. Unfortunately for students, these traditions are copied from those of schools designed to train the English aristocracy of centuries ago. They are outdated, they disregard democracy, they promote dominance and hierarchy, and they tolerate systematic bullying and harassment. Public school parents beg to differ.
Abuse of power affects everyone.
A minority never recover their confidence. The majority are left with an entrenched and unexamined belief in the acceptability of violence and intimidation. Dominance and fear are also the basic ingredients of corporal punishment. Amazingly, there are still many supporters of this dangerous and ineffective practice. Many private schools, deprived by law of the right to hit children, have merely substituted fear of humiliation and expulsion for fear of physical pain.