Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-12
: PUNIsHmENr
CORPORAL


punishment In schools has of late elected Q
good deal of discussion and Investigation
in various parts of tie country. A sub
COMMITTEES Of the School Board of Boston,
which has been investigating the subject,
has submitted q long report, in which
ground is taken in favor of the immediate
and final adjustment of such punishmen Mt
as means of discipline in the public
schools OF that city. "Nobody asserts OF
believes, now-adays," the committee re-
marks, ssshat corporal punishment is de-
sirab.e method of stimulating the brain.
It is only advocated as means to be used
in The last resort, for the correction of gross
heedlessness or 9ilful disobedience to au-
thority.' Numerous expedients are sug-
gested which may be used to prevent idle
ness ard listlessness in the school room,
and teachers are advised that it is their
duty to devise means of tbs sort. The
committee says:
The more stupid and Indifferent the
teacher, the more readily is the rod brought
into requisition, if its use Is permitted In
our schools. Your committee, therefore,
are of the unanimous opinion that there is
no one thing by which our teachers can be
better stimulated to good works than by
refusing permission to use the rod and other
means Of corporal punishment, which the
veriest dolt of pedagogue, or even
,lnrr I,a
teachers to enlarge their ideas on this sub
ject of discipline in their schools, and not
forego al the resources of their intellects
and affections to control and guide their
pupils for that never-faiiing resource of stu.
pidity, incidence, and selfconceit, 'the
word and the blow, and the blow first"
The committee argues that children, lie
adults, should not be summarily punished
for the offsnses they commit. Ten chances
to one, says tie committee, the teacher is in
a passion when he inAicts punishment upon
the offending pupil; in which case the com
mittee thinks it is as much as If the pun
ishment for street disorders we're inflicted
by Infatuated policemen on the spot; be-
sides, the committee strongly contends, the
use of the rod exerts degrading influence
upon the teachers themselves. 1t is argued
that something of the same judicial spirit
with which offenses against the law are
punished in the courts, should be used in
the management of schools. The penalty
is to be carefully adjusted to the nature of
the offsnse committed, and administer
red with coolness and csndor.
With such methods, the commit
rnittee asserts, nine.y-cases of misconduct
out of every one hundred can be successful
ly dealt With. And then comes the hun
dredth case, in which kindness and fairness
and justice are sll uuavailiDg, and an incor-
rigible scholar persists in disobedient and
violent conduct in school. In such case
the committee points out that the proper
way for the teacher is to call in the school
to deal with the pupil and warn
his parents of his evil doiDgs. The commit
lee insists that 'sunder no circumstances
should the teacher be subjected to the deg
of whipping pupil" TIE COM
mittee suggests as the last resort for nm
rnly scholars the use of the station-hous9,
a suggestion that ought to be as repugnau
70 the committee as the use of the
rod. In the opinion of the commit
zee, sit is the better mode to train Amer
can citizens by teaching them, even in
that obedience to just and i'm
partial suthority is part of their daily life;
hat while il is not to be enforced by per-
ional abuse nor in anger, there is power
which surrounds US all, old and young, like
he atmosphere which we breathe, which
an never be successfully resisted or OPP
,osed; that this power is The result of the
wisdom of the best men Of al
.ges, and is the code of laws under which
We live. There is another method, how
yer, which the committee thinks may be
Ised to advantage in large towns and cities,
nd that is the establishment of one or more
pecial schools, which truants and incor- |
igihle pupils shall be compelled to attend.
So much for this sBoston notion" Now
ct us see some Western notions on the
ubject. j. l.. Picksrd, Superintendent of |
be Chicago public schools, has been trying |
be effect of the abolition of corporal pun
'hment on the discipline and condition Of
chools. At the beginning of the scholast
ear recently ended he informed the teach
rs of the proposed experiment, adding that
compliance with his desire was entirely |
ptional on their part, as there was no rule
the Board of Education forbidding cor
oral punishment. TIE teachers inquired
hat they were to do with lazy and refrac-
Dry pupils. The Superintendent said that
upils should not be kept after school hours;
lould not be deprived of their recess,
or made subjects of ridicule or an.
oyaBce. The new plan was TO ap-
cal to- the better feelings of the pupils,
nd to arouse sense of self-respect in each
0y and girl. Children were to be con-
olled by note of suspension, by calling
parents, or by sending an unmanageable
1pil to the Superintendent. The plan has
orked well. When child would not OBJ
rye the rules of a school its parents were
Mt for. If they did not come the pupil
as suspended. If they did, the offences
the child were rehearssd in its presence,
I'd the alternative of reform or suspension
No reform following, the pu-
| was suspended, and was not restored by
e Superintendent until be had had an in
ryiew with the parents, and then in bad
ses was only restored on trial, the teacher
report conduct after the expiration of a
eek. In his report to the Board of Educa.
IN, the Superintendent states that about
per cent. of the offences 10 The school
ON are The result of settled
Irpose 10 disobey, and to set up
9 pupils will against the will of the
acher; about 36a per cent. are
g result of unrestrained passion, malic-
US spirit or corrupt sentiment, and about
per cent, of continued thoughtlessness
thout wilful neglect. About IS per cent.
those suspended do not seek restoration
q pS |