Evening star., 1923-09-16
The Punishment
of School Pupil:

Inc PUNISHMENT or the lnlteu
of School Pupils. sea. ssateS MYTH ntiy Years a
growing public sentiment against the
practice. In The Star of September H.
1873. is the following editorial on the
subject:
LAS our school board has been for
some time moving in the direction OF
the abolition of corporal punishment
in our schools, it is a matter OF inter-
est to know what action is being
taken by intelligent school authorities
elsewhere The subcommittee of the
Boston school board which has been
investigating the subject of corporal
punishment has prepared a report in
which the ground is taken in favor of
the immediate and final adjustment
of such punishment. Nobody asserts
or believes, nowadays, that corporal
punishment is a desirable method of
stimulating the brain. 1t is only advo-
Gated as a means to be used in the
last resort for the correction of gross
heedlessness or willfuI disobedience to
authority. Numerous eXpedients are
suggested which may be used to pre-
vent idleness and listlessness in the
schoolroom, and teachers are advised
that it is their duty to devise means
of this sort. The committee says:
1.-The more stupid and Indifferent
the teacher, the more readily is the
rod brought into requisition if its use
is permitted in our schools. The COM
nittee therefore are of the unanimous
opinion that there is no one thing by
which our teachers can be better
stimulated to good works than by re-
fusing permission to use the rod and
other means of corporal punishment
which the veriest dolt of pedagogue.
or even a monkey, would employ, and
compelling the teachers to enlarge
their ideas on this subject of dis
cipline in their schools and not forego
all the resources of their intellects
their pupils for that never failing re-
source of stupidity, Incidence and self
conceit, 1.-The word and the blow, and
the blow first
"The committee argues that chil-
dren, like adults, should not be sum-
marily punished for the offenses they
commit Ten chances to one the
teacher is in a passion when he in
fiicts punishment upon the offending
pupils, in which case, the committee
thinks. it is much as IL the punish
ment for street disorder were in
fiicted by infuriated policemen on the
spot 1t is argued that something of
the same judicial spirit with which
oYenses against the law are punished
in the courts should be used in the
management of the schools. The pen
atty is to be carefully adjusted to the
nature of the offense committed and
administered with coolness and can
dor. With such methods, it is asserted
ninety-nine cases of misconduct out of
every one hundred can be success
fully dealt with. And then comes the
hundredth case, in which kindness
and fairness and justice are all un-
availing. and a scholar persists in dis
obedience and violent conduct in
school.
"In such a case the committee
points out that the proper way for the
teacher is to call in the school COM
mittee to deal with the pupil and
warn his parents of his doings, Under
no circumstances should the teacher
be subjected to the degradation OF
enlarges on the degrading influence
of the use of the rod upon the teach
ers themselves. That such an influence
is likely TO be eSerted while the rod
is freely used is undeniable. No doubt
the majority of our teachers would
gladly be relieved of the isagreeable
duty of punishing refractory scholars.
The custom of intiicting severe corr
poral punishments, which often in
wolves O pitched battle between the
teacher and the pupil, necessarily
hardens and brutalizes the mind OF
the former, an we'll as hurting the
body of the latter"