To cane, or not to cane, that is the question
A video clip of a scuffle between two students at a secondary school in Serangoon last month and a newspaper report about parents’ resistance to teachers disciplining their children had netizens divided over the issue of discipline and the use of corporal punishment.
Apparently, what was supposed to be a joke between two boys turned into a scuffle involving several students. The lady in the pale-blue skirt who was captured in the clip is reported to be the co-form teacher of the class who got some students to call in a male teacher to assist her in keeping the situation under control.
The incident, coupled with a recent report dated Jan 28 on The New Paper where a mother of a special needs child said, “No one has the right to discipline my child except myself and my husband” and another parent claims that “My son is so precious to me and it’s not up to the teacher to punish him” had netizens lamenting that today’s children are beyond the control of teachers and the school because of parents’ resistance to teachers stepping in to discipline their children and the decreased use of corporal punishment in schools. Some believed that today’s children and youth are unable to grasp what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and do not respect authority because the use of corporal punishment in schools have decreased over the years.
This week’s LearnOwly article examines what corporal punishment like in Singapore schools and presents the pros and cons of corporal punishment.
What’s corporal punishment like in our schools?
Corporal punishment is legal in Singapore schools but can only be applied on male students. Only a light rattan cane may be used and the act must be administered in a formal ceremony by the school management after due deliberation, not by classroom teachers. The punishment may be administered by only the Principal, Vice Principal, or a specially designated and trained “Discipline Master”. The student’s parents must be informed immediately of all the details of the offence and punishment. Parental consent might be sought in some instances before the caning is carried out
Most secondary schools (whether independent, autonomous or government), and also some primary schools, use caning to deal with serious offences such as fighting, smoking, cheating, gangsterism, vandalism, defiance and truancy. The Ministry of Education has stipulated a maximum of six strokes per occasion. After each stroke is delivered, the student’s condition is monitored before deliberating if he is fit to receive the next stroke. In some cases the punishment is carried out in front of the rest of the school instead of in private but the instances of public caning in schools have become less common in recent years.
The pros and cons of corporal punishment
The proponents of corporal punishment in schools and parental caning at home points out that caning (when administered appropriately) can instil discipline in children and youths. Some of the prevailing pros of corporal punishment are:
1. Enables Parents/Authorities to have Control.
Those who use corporal punishment and spanking believe that the act gives them control over those under disciplinary action. A child or youth knows that every wrongdoing gets physical consequence and that allows them to respect authority.
2. An Effective Behaviour Adjustment
Some believe that the act is one of the quickest and most effective ways to discipline a child who is acting up. Children who are misbehaving become a quick distraction to the entire learning environment and corporal punishment allows this to be dealt with in a quick and swift way.
3. Instils Sense of Right and Wrong
A big part of a developing child’s behaviour comes from understanding the difference between right and wrong. When a student is acting incorrectly or does something that is generally accepted as “wrong”, they are punished in a way that teaches them very quickly.
It is important to note that proponents of corporal punishment do not simply believe that spanking and caning a child who has misbehaved and a youth who has committed serious offences will magically set the child or youth straight. They believe that corporal punishment should be used as a part of developing a child’s or youth’s behaviour. Counselling before and/or after the punishment is still necessary to ensure that the child or youth understands what he is being punished for and why his behaviour was unacceptable.
On the other hand, people who oppose the use of corporal punishment points out the following disadvantages.
1. A Misuse of Abuse
Some believed that if teachers and other people who are not the parents are given the freedom to dole out such severe punishments, then these people may begin to abuse this power. There is no true way to determine if a child or youth truly deserved the punishment or if it was simply because a teacher was frustrated or fed up. There is also concern about any injury that may come to the child, and who would be held responsible.
2. Violence Promotes More Violence
A child or youth who learns that violence is the solution to problems will begin to use violence to solve their own problems. Teaching that any form of violence is every okay can cause major problem with children as they get older. This is one of the biggest issues surrounding corporal punishment in schools.
3. The Mental Harm
Another issue surrounding the use of corporal punishment within schools is the fact that it can cause severe mental anguish that may stick with the student for a long time. It can cause a long-lasting problem with authority, and an extreme dislike of schools and the education systems. This also causes mental anguish for the person who is responsible for punishing, because they may not feel comfortable administering such a violent punishment.
Should schools be disciplining my child and carrying out corporal punishment?
While we respect that every parent has their own philosophy and stand when it comes to disciplining their children. We strongly feel that if parents believe that teachers and the school have no right to discipline and punish their children, parents must then be prepared and committed in disciplining their children, instilling sense of right and wrong and correcting unacceptable behaviour. Put simply, a parent should not be saying that teachers and the school have no right to discipline their children, and fail to discipline their children due to lack of time and knowledge and how to go about disciplining their children. After all, discipline is just as vital for healthy child development as nutritious food, physical and cognitive exercises, love, and other basic needs. Without discipline, children and youths lack the tools necessary to navigate relationships and challenges in life such as self-discipline, respect for others, and the ability to cooperate with peers.
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