Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-15
MUST USE THE ROD.
KnoxVille's School Board Returns to
Corporal Punishment.
DISCIPLINEe EeREATLY ENDANGERED
The Validity Of Their Former Action
Questioned by Some.
POISTEES ON SCHOOL GOVERNMENT

The Knoxville School Board took action
at its last meeting which may be Of interest
to those studying the question of corporal
punishment in the schools. They rescinded
their order abolishing corporal punishment
and gave the teachers full power to use the
whip at their own discretion. To give the
reader any insight into the significance ofthis
action one must go back about three months,
when there was a little trouble in the school
over a too frequent use of the rod, as some
thought, and consequent complaint from
some Of the parents.
The matter was brought before the board,
and, after some discussion, it was decided
that the board would thereafter look aftel
the discipline of the school They then gave
the order that corporal punishment should
be totally abolished, and, should q scholar
not ''toe the mark" he was to be sent home.
and >for the lighter offenses he should be
made to stand on the floor, or suffer some
other mild means Of punishment.
At the time such action was taken there
was disagreement as to the advisabi1ity Of
making such q move. but 1t was at last 30
decreed, and the teachers complied. II
worked all right for short time, but soon
the parents began to complain. Some of the
scholars didn't scare cent" about such
punishment, and rather liked it. because if
was just
AS GOOD AS PLAYING HOCKEY.
The parents, however, objected. They
claimed that they paid taxes for their chill
dren's education, and they didn't propose to
hau mt 1H ha IN
bic. Again, the old question Of partislity
caused some parents to complain. In fact,
the new experimentworked wrong all around.
The children aggravated the teachers and
they had no power to give some of them the
substantial punishment they needed, and
could not use that power to frighten the
pupils into subjection.
At last the principal and teachers ali
signed 9 petition to the School Board to
rescind their action, and were Joined by
many citizens, who saw that the discipline
of the school was suffering from the new
rules. This was what lead the School
Board at its last meeting to again place the
sole power Of government in the hands of the
teachers. There was one other matter, too
that undoubtedly had some influence with
them in their last decision. The validity O
their action was questioned by some, backed
by the State law governing schools, one
clause of which states that during school
hours the teacher is to execute the same
power of discipline over the children as then
parents would at home; in fact, that while
at school the teacher is
A PROXY PARENT.
This question is being talked about and
at the coming institute of the boroughs Of
Knoxville, Mt Washington and Beltz.
1k,<,1 Ia lf 49, -
the whole question, will probably be dis.
eussed. It may be iHtroduced by paper
taking both sides, read BY some one, and
then be offered Tor general discussion
Again, it may come up for debate. The
question is live one, and it will come be-
fore the institute in some way.
When DISPATCH reporter visited the
Knoxville school building to learn little
turther in regard to the matter, he found
Profs. j. P. Montgomery, oi
the Knoxville schools Mark An
drews, of the st. Clair township
schools, and Arthur Bennett of the Mt.
Oliver schools, outlining the programme for
the coming institute. Prof. Montgomery
said that the board took the action rescind-
ing their former order. first because petit
ton for such a move had been signed By all
the teachers, and second because the citizens
demanded 1t. Their request came from the
obvious fact that the discipline Of the school
was suffering, and that something should be
done to place it on better standing.
GOVERNED THROUGH FEAR.
Mr.. Montgomery said that it was not
through any adherence to the old maxim
that ''to spare the rod will ruin the child, %
but that taking away the power to use it
took their supremacy from them. It was
not always necessary to use the rod, but the
fact that child knew that such was in the
power of the teacher. was sufficient to in
sure discipline. IF children knew that the
teacher could not whip them anyway, no
matter what they did, they could be an ever,
lasting source of annoyance. Not only that,
but it lowered their estimation of the teach
ers' powers, and he lost In caste in their
eyes. Mr. Montgomery said that the rule
of abolishing corporal punishment might
work in some places, but in Knoxville the
time was not ripe for such move.
The other two professors reiterated Mr..
Mentgomery's sentiments, and, moreover,
did not think that the School Board had
any power under the State laws governing
schools to take any action. They did not
believe in using the rod, but believed that
such power should be given them, that the
scholars may know they must behave them
selves. There are many bright scholars
whom the teachers have to punish, just to
take the "deviltry" out Of them and get
them down to an understanding of what
they are at school for. Those same scholars
often stand at the head Of their class. If
they were sent home, all would be changed.