The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1909-02-27
PUBLIC SCHOOL AFFAIRS.

PUBLIC SCHOOL AFFAlhOs
The Tribune in a recent issue stat
ed that Washington teacher had
tackled a little girls tongue to the
desk in order to break the child of
the whispering habit. Some thought
that we meant a teacher in the Wash
ington school of Caldwell. This teach
er belonged to the state of Washing
ton. We have heard of no Caldwell
teacher resorting to this method of
punishment. However, we would not
be surprised to hear of such an oc-
currance most anytime. 1t is not
tongue to his desk than it is to jab
him with a hat pin. A person capable
of the latter would hesitate long at
nothing. We make this statement that
there may be no misunderstanding:
while we are making it we may we'll
proceed to make a few remarks on
corporal punishment in general.
Some two years ago, the matter of
corporal punishment in the public
schools came up for discussion. At
the time it was seriously considered
whether corporal punishment should
not be entirely abolished. Nothing
definite was decided upon, but until
recently nothing has been publicly
said about punishment in the schools.
We thought the teachers had probably
abolished it as a useless relic of saw
agery. We find we we're mistaken. II
seems a better and more approved
method has been evolved. We now
have the hat pin route of Christening
the proud spirit of innocent children.
Teachers are now employed who do
not enjoy the respect of even the
children. They cannot maintain disci-
pline without re-enforcements of club
and hat-pins, and even then are total
failures. 1t is argued that chaos
would reign supreme were corporal
punishment abolished. We would like
to know what is reigning in the school
room when a twelve or thirteen-year
old boy takes a teacher by the arm
and gives her to understand that if
she again jab him with hat pin he
will jerk off her arm and use it to beat
her head off We would like to know
of one single instance where corporal
punishment has done a child one iota
of good. Punishment is not, once out
of a thousand times, resorted to in
order to correct the child. 1t is used
exclusively to releave the feelings of
the teacher. 1t is used almost entire
ly in hate and anger. Teachers prac-
tice that which they themselves con-
denim in the children. If child loses
his temper and strikes a playmate, he
is punished If the teacher loses his
temper and strikes a child it is all
right. We do not expect to see per-
feet teachers. We can understand
how, in a moment of anger, the teach
er might do something he should not
While such a thing is deplorable it
can be excused. But we cannot
understand how any honest man
or woman can attempt to justify and
vindicate such an action. There was
some semblance of reason in the old
plan when the teacher had the child
remain after school and receive his
punishment. That was bad enough,
but it gave the child and teacher time
to cool off, and unless they nursed
their wrath to keep it warm, real
physical harm was seldom done the
child. But in the latest method the
teacher arms himself and then starts
out looking for trouble. Most per-
sons with this end in view usually
arrive at their destination. The teach
ers in such a state of mind can usual
ly find something on which to take
out his spite. The poor, helpless
child suffers. Unless the teachers
change their methods, one OF these
days, something will drop Ia the
Caldwell public schools. We think
the board of trustees had better try
to prevent this by a thorough inves-
tigation.