Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-27

because the teacher is fatigued and
irritable. The teacher is Incompetent
to tell when this is the case. Some
days there are regular crops of dis
turbances that seem to call for cor
poral punishment while on other days
there are practically none. These are
due to some extent to changes i'm the
weather, affecting pupils and teachers
ale. To punish for and under such
conditions is manifestly absurd.
SIN view of the we'll established
facts as to sadism and masoehism, cor
poral punishment should only be given
under conditions of the greatest care
as to the possible presence of such
sexual perverity in either pupil or
teacher. Such care is well nigh inn
possible.
6-In view of the fact that the dis
cipline of school is not a function of the
amount Of punishment given in IL. and
that the measurement of the amount
of punishment the teacher uses Is a
measure of her inferiority rather than
of her superiority. it seems reasonable
that corporal punishment should be
abolished.
corporal punishment involves a
loss of self respect on the part OF the
pupil. Self respect IS the most valu-
able asset making for good conduct,
and must be secured by every means
within our power From this stand
point, corporal punishment should be
altogether abolished.
S-There are on record enough cases
in inquiry of a permanent character
inflicted on children by teachers, 10
make the giving Of corporal punish
ment by teachers recognized as haz-
ardouS matter.
Gin view of the progressive his
tory of corporal punishment Tar, by
the state for crimes committed by
citizens; (b), in the army and navy;
(c), its lessening or adjustment in
schools: I'd, its steady lessening with
the progress of civilization In the fam
lily, the adjustment Of corporal pun
ishment in schools appears to be one
of the goals toward which we are COM
ing.
The history of punishment does not
at all teach that the severity of crime
is directly related to infrequency of
crime. When petty thieving was pun
ishabe by death, it was apparently as
frequent as it is now.
The Boston public schools now en-
ploy corporal punishment. Few, If any.
other large American cities do so. No
one appears to claim that discipline is
materially better in the Boston schools
than it is elsewhere.
In some school systems that have
changed from having to not having
corporal punishment, the year follow
ing the change has been marked by in
science and pupil outbreaks. These are
almost inevitable The new form has
not vet had time OF develop its own
power. Two or three years are needed
10 restore disciplinary equilibrium.
Ineffciency Shown
The history OF corporal punishment
in schools is in the main the history
OF ineficienCy, with confession that the
teacher must descend from the higher
intellectual levels and appeal to the
superiority Of brute strength.
This discussion. il is TO be remem-
bered, is upon one point only, namely:
Shall the school authorities have the
right TO whip children?
It seems 10 US that it still necessary
for parents TO use this power at times,
but the discussion of this topic would
involve more space than can be at
present given to it.
There is real need by school teachers
and principals of added disciplinary
powers. These. however, must be dis
covered by the school authorities. The
general direction of such solution
seems to be % in the lessening of the
size of classes. The quantity of pun
ishment needed seems to increase d.
rectly and faster than does the num-
Der of children in the class. The more
personal the relations between teacher