Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-03-06
STARRING The ROD
IS Spelling CHILD
(By Sophie Irene Loeb. J

COlgJ VI uDIlN CCllOOl 4NO. Gly DIT AlOII
and Elizabeth streets, corporal pun
ishment is a necessity in the schools
of our city. There are complains
from teachers all over the city who
deplore the fact that we have no SOFT
of punishment for unruly pupils.
wouldn't say that the growing num-
Der of young thugs, criminals and
hoodlums are the direct result of this
punishment rule in our city
schools, but l do believe that it is A
contributory cause of this youthful
Iawlessness of which we hear and see
so much
In like manner, with some modifca-
tons, opinions are given somewhat in
favor of corporal punishment by DR..
John Tildsley, principal of De Wit
Clinton High School; Justice Mayo, of
the children's court, and many others
The wisdom of creating corporal
punishment in dealing with young
miscreants must indeed be taken with
precaution, since it is a system eman,
ating from the past which has been
abolished as civilization has advanced
While there is the unusual child who
may, perhaps, be reached only oy
the fear of punishment, it is not the
average. And as all rules and laws
must be made for the average and not
the exception, the exception must be
dealt with in patience
1t is we'll known fact that in the
past when corporal punishment was
the rule rather than the exception
many a whipping was administered
by a teacher in a mood that was pro-
yoked by bad behavior or under a
tomperamental strain that perhaps
could not be avoided by that teacher.
For the instructor is but human.
And while many teachers undoubt
eddy are severely tried every day IN
disciplining young America, especially
in the large city where freedom is the
keynote of existence-if given power
to punish physically, one might avail
himself of this power at moments of
evaporation when he would not do il
i, he took time for consideration or
was not granted the authority.
There are many ways and means of
reaching the young, other than by
corporal punishment. There seemingly
is nothing that causes such feeling of
resentment to a parent as the admin
istration of physical punishment on a
child, inflicted by so-called out
slider"
While the work of the teacher
should be aided in every direction
by parent and layman (for the teacher
has much to do with the molding If
the young CITIZEN yet to create a
general rule whereby that teacher NAV
judge the need of inficting physical
pain is grave question that should
not be decided without cooperation
from the parents themselves.
While, for some children, the spar
ing of the rod, perchance, spoils tn
child, there are many other ways
that need not be spared in Impress
! ing the wee one as to what he should
or should not do When kindness,
reason, reward, all fail, there may
be some need for the rod; but this
should be considered, if at all, as the
acme of punishment in the excep-
tional case, and fully agreed upon
ty more than the teacher himself rs
the one means in the particular case
at hand
If corporal punishment is made
general thing there will always be
contention between parent and teacher
as to the justice thereof. And for the
good of all concerned contentious
should certainly not exist