The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1908-12-25
WHIPPING
Children in the School
Is Not Illegal. Says Assistant At.
tOrney General Of Kentucky,

!
A teacher may punish child by /
whipping, decides the Assistant At
torney General Thomas y. McGrceor
There has been so much agitation OF
the question and State superintend-
ent Crabbe has been besieged by
teachers who wanted - know their
rights he asked ruling Of the At
torney General on the subject. The /
ruling OF Mr. McGregor has the In /
dorsement Of the Attorney General, 4
ana in It he says:
Local conditions enter very great
Is into this question. There are some
districts where the Idea Is prevalent,
not only among the pupils,
Tut also among the pa
be had. They very often iustill Il
irons. that whipping teacher must
ieto their children. aud the first
day child goes TO school he goes
n1der the parental ndmonition that
he will be whipped II he docs not do
40 and so.
eThis Is true Of all pupils, and in
communities where this is recogniz-
ed "a an unchanging law, would
like 10 see a preacher Of the modern
doctrine OF moral persuasion 80 In
10 this trlct and teaching school
without having his ideas Of moral
euasion terribly shattered.
u give this as an illustration tnd
Il Is rather the exception tnan
4 the rule Pupils are TO be governed
IN the school room by the teacher
exactly as they have been govern
ed at home. II parents raise up
their children under Solomon'B nd
monitlon OF spare the rcd aad spoil
the child, how else can you expect
the teacher to rule them2 On the
other hand, II they are reared at
Rome under the rule OF kindness
the teacher In the school room can
rule the pupil In the same manner.
Teachers must largely meet rondi-
tlons In the schoolroom as they are
A great many things in the each
ing profession are right on paper rnd
in theory. and might say IN insu-
tutos. but the same theories and ideas
etc, carried out into the rural
schools 20 be put in use are I'll
wrong. Section 5406 of theK cntuckl
Statute In part says.
The teacher Is authorized md
directed 10 hold each pupil IN strict
accountability for any disorderly
conduct on the playground q
during the intermission or recess OF
on the road to and fom school
"our courts have never passed
directly upon this question, but
have passed upon questions dealinf
with the suspension or expulsio n
II dIsorderly pupils from cchools, bu
quite a number OF authorities can be
found from the decisions of ,thel
state courts upon both sides Of thi
question"
After citing number OF ruthori
tes from other States, he continues
'.The teacher OF Kentucky com
mon school does have the right e
irflict corporal punishment wheT
n becomes necessary to hold each o
his or her pupils in strict accounta
billty for nny llsorderly raduct u
the grounds or during any intermis
sion or recess, or on the road 70 an
from schosl. But this punishmen
may be justified in the first plac
hy the dlsorderly conduct of his pu
nil and may never be excessive, 20
II he goes beyond, the teacher !
not only civilly, but criminally la
BILE.
Il long TO see the day in whicl
this custom can be done awaywlth
hut fear that as long rs Ken
lucky produces vi,ncious, onersizinf
oulck-fempered American boys 1t vi
be necessary to have them hanginI
On the wall somewhere in right tn
proverbial dogwood pointer Il tu
grandfather schoolmasters, for ii'
isstrument was one of the great
est appreciable Influences in che Mor
derful development and growth :
American life in civilization"