The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-06-27
Makes Statement On
COrpOralPu Punishment
Superintendent Gives Out Laws On
Matter Which Has Been Agitating
The Islands

on the subject of corporal punishment
of children by teachers, Vaughan
MacCaughey, superintendent of pub
lie instruction has issued the follow
Ing statement, setting forth the school
laws and quoting from the Cyclopedia
of Education. The Maui News prints
this statement at the request of the
department of public education at
Honolulu.
"The School Laws of the Territory
of Hawaii provide that
ANY teacher shall have power
to administer necessary and rea-
sonable punishment upon any
pupils while in attendance at
schools, and shall not in any way
be held responsible therefor"
ut will be noted that this law does
not specify corporal or bodily punish
ment. The superintendent is satisfied
with this law and has made no recon-
mendations whatsoever to the Com
missioners or Legislature that any
change be made in this law.
ut will be seen from the accom-
panying except from the ~Cyclopedia
of Education edited by Paul Monroe
1913, that many mainland cities and
states absolutely forbid corporal
punishment. In fact, corporal punish
ment is now practically obsolete in
all progressive American communities.
An important distinction is also to be
made between those schools in which
corporal punishment is of rare charac-
ter and those schools or class-rooms
in which there is a great deal Of
chronic corporal punishment. Speak
ing in general terms, the school or
in which there is a maximum
amount of corporal punishment is the
- school or room in which there is a
maximum of inefficient teaching. Per
sonally, l am opposed to corporal
punishment, but, officially, would
make no change whatsoever in the
present rule.
in modern education, we are COM
ing to recognize that there are other
modes of punishment far more effica-
cious than corporal punishment. Ger
tainly misdemeanors should be punish
ed but there are methods far more
satisfactory than bodily punishment.
1T will be noted that the Territorial
Legislature, in enacting a law upon
punishment, wisely recognized this
fact and made no mention whatsoever
of corporal punishment"
Defines Corporal Punishment
present Legislative Aspect, United
States. The tendency to moderate or
abandon corporal punishment has al
ready been referred to-. In 1906, the
regulative principles in cities of 1907
900 or over stood as follows, making
the classiications somewhat broad:
Cd Corporal punishment was entire,
ly forbidden in nine cities New York,
Chicago, Jersey City, Baltimore,
louisville, Kentucky, Newark, Patter-
son, New Jersey, Syracuse.) In two
others, it was retained only to repel
violence (St. Paul, Minnesota), or in
unclassiied schools ~(Cleveland). (2)
AS a last resort (must be avoided, il
possible in extreme cases) corporal
punishment was retained in nineteen
cities. 60 No rule, but abandoned
by common consent (Philadelphia)
and an implicit regulation against
corporal punishment is found Coma
ha). =
Where corporal punishment is re
tanned as a last resort or otherwise
certain restrictions are found to the
effect that teachers must keep a rec
ord, notify the principal, report to
the superintendent, inflict the correc
ton in the presence of others, teach
ers, principal or superintendent; il
some cases the principal or vice-prin
cipal alone has the right of admins
tering corporal punishment; in Other
cases, parent must be notified OF the
anu III oAe SeS'
(Kansas City, NO. the parents may
inflict the punishment instead of the
teacher. In st. Louis, Mo-, the prac
tice is left to the discretion of the prin
cipals without any encouragement by
the board of education. Generally
the punishment must not be infllct
ed in the presence of the other pupils
or during the school session. IL
many instances, corporal punishment
is limited to male pupils, or pupils
below high school ATLANTA, Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana, San Fran
cisco, California; or below gramma
grades providence, r. - wher'
specified means are confined.