Corporal punishment does not help
CORPORAL punishment in schools has been ongoing for a long time. Teachers have eluded the long arm of the law handing out various methods of discipline “for the good of the students”.
In Standard 2 (early 1960s), a relief teacher used a long ruler (normally used for pointing out things on the blackboard) to hit my head because I was slow to answer a question. I told my parents and my father wrote a letter to the teacher. The next day, my class teacher was back and she gave the letter to the relief teacher who apologised to me.
However, it got around to the other teachers and I was called in by the Standard 5 teacher and questioned. She insisted the teacher had done it “for my own good” and made me promise never to inform my parents again of any such incidents. I replied that I would have to lie to my parents but she insisted she was in the right and would not allow me to go until I promised her.
Throughout my school years, my classmates and I were often subjected to various tortures, verbal and physical, by teachers who were just ill-tempered. In Standard 3, one threatened to make each of us drink a bottle of fountain pen ink at the end of the year if our handwriting did not improve.
Slapping was the norm. The teacher grabbed each student by the pinafore and inflicted a hard slap on the face. The force was so strong our heads snapped to the other side. Our ears would ring for hours. Decades later, when I married and had my own children, corporal punishment was still the norm in my children’s co-ed school. In Standard 1, my eldest daughter was forced to strip to her panties and blouse for a PE lesson because she forgot to bring her shorts. Her female classmates felt sorry for her and hid her from the view of the boys. Another teacher, got my daughter a spare pair of shorts. On another occasion, my daughter and her classmates were slapped on their foreheads and had their books thrown out from the classroom.
My daughter was absent the previous day as she was unwell and had completed her homework based on her classmates’ instructions. I went to speak to the teacher. However, the principal disallowed it and apologised on the teacher’s behalf. Yet, the said teacher was unapologetic and insulted my daughter and threatened her should she ever speak to me about it.
My second daughter was not spared either. In primary school, a male classmate told the teacher during a class examination, “Ms X, Y (my daughter) copied me.” Without finding out the truth, the teacher slapped my daughter. I went to the school and met with the teacher. I explained there was no need for my daughter to copy anyone as she was a top student and ahead of her class. I told her that if she doubted me, she could just separate my daughter and her accuser, give them a test and compare the results. My daughter was a sickly child but she often studied in the hospital. The teacher apologised to me.
Yes, I am a guardian angel to my children. I believe children are God’s gifts to us – to love, nurture and direct along the right path. You do not need to resort to violence or any form of abuse, verbal or physical to accomplish this.
Shashindra Muniandi, “To sir with love” ( The Star, Dec 25), said “teachers are priceless”. I say in reply, “Children are priceless.” You can make or break a child, depending on the method of discipline. The question that begs to be answered, “Does it help the perpetrator?” Doesn’t this lead to other forms of violence or abuse? Please do not wait for a tragedy before we take concrete steps to correct wrong in whatever form and place.
A CONCERNED MUM Kuala Lumpur