The sun., 1908-03-05
NO WHIPPING IN THE SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTES
~ TO n AGAINST 1T.

But the Matter ef Special Disciplinary
sehSolS IStO BE Looked IntO-AthIet
Blamed for PoOr DiscipIIne-MOre
Ethics Suggested a. q Good Remedy.
The Board OF Education rejected last
night by q vote OF 81 10 II the report OF
the special committee recommending the
restoration OF corporal punishment In the
public schools,
The vote was taken at midn Ght, after
most Of the members Of the board had
talked on one side OF the other.
After the vote bad been taken Com
missioner Jonas moved that the same COM
mittee be asked TO take up the matter Of the
establishment Of disciplinary schools for
!ncorrigibles in various parts Of the city.
This motion was carried.
On the secretary's desk were many pro-
tests from OF ganizations and individuals
against the restoration. Among these
were 30 green postcards. Commissioner
Suydan OF Queens sent letter saying he
could not attend the meeting. but was
strongly opposed to the committees re-
port. Ex-President Burlin CHAM OF the
board also wrote opposing the rod in schools
Chairman Jonas OF the special committee
declared that the report was a warning
to parents OF pupils that II their children
were going to be disorderly At school they
would n u be permitted 10 associate with
other public school pupils. but would be
sent to the truant school.
DR.. Macdonald. another member Of the
committee. read two typewriter pages
strongly condemning whipping in the
schools, and then started on on another
bunch Of manuscript, forty pages OF
arguments in favor OF such punishment
He deduced that from all sorts Of points
Of view judioious whipping would conduce
to a better degree OF discipline.
DR.. Macdonald read for something more
than half an hour Mr.. KantEler. the next
speaker, said he hoped the time would never
come in this city when teachers and pupils
would be brutalized by the use Of the rod
Robert Harrison said he didn't think
physical torture was a proper part Of mod
ern education. There are as many bad
girls as bad boys in the public schools he
said, -and the public would never tolerate
the whipping Of girls. IL seems to rne that
the special committee has based its report
on the opinions OF teachers and principals
only and that in these matters such opinions
are Of little value.
Are we going to permit our boys to be
degraded because they happen to antago-
nize hot tempered teacherl What should
be done in the schools is to teach more
ethics. especially TO the teachers. and then
we'll have well behaved pupils. Many a
boy has been ruined for hfe when fiogging
was the custom. let US not have the big
stick in our schools, but big conscience
and a big heart"
c. f. Bruse said that in the past two
years only 377 incorTi9ible pupils had
cropped up out of a total public school
population Of more than half million
He believed that showed a good degree
OF discipline and that whipping was not
necessary. He believed there would shortly
be a reaction In the matter Of athletics
among school boys. which would assist
discipline. Discipline. he said, had been
broken down by interscholastic athletic
competition-the pupils were so taken up
with athletics that they didn't care about
their school work, and. In fact, came
to consider themselves as professional
athletes independent Of studies and OF
discipline.
On the other side John Greene said: The
one thing that wins In society as well az in
schools is the rod Of compulsion. We
want peace in the schools and that cannot
be obtained by moral suasiOn.'
Supt Maxwell said that flOgging prin-
cipal or Jogging teacher would soon lose
all dignity, and called attention TO what
the DrinciDal Of A achool OF fortv-aiVht
classes would have to do In the hogging
line II he were called upon TO do the whip
ping demanded by fOrty-eght teachers.
-Flogging has been abolished In the
army and navy. he said. -and brutal drivers
Of horses are arrested daily. In the face OF
this, would The public stand for the beating
Of children?"
DIR. Maxwell said that the superintendents
were solidly opposed 10 corporal punish
ment