There is more to discipline than use of stick or carrot
Sep 28, 2010
THE use of the cane to improve academic performance or motivate good behaviour has been a subject of debate for long.
FROM THE EDITOR
THE use of the cane to improve academic performance or motivate good behaviour has been a subject of debate for long.
The controversy hit its peak five years ago when the education ministry slapped a ban on corporal punishment in schools and colleges following reports of injury on students.
Many schools continued to use corporal punishment in spite of the ban. In November 2008, the education ministry launched a handbook detailing alternative approaches to punishment which many school have not adhered to.
A US study has revealed that caning, random slapping or shouting is likely to make children more aggressive.
The proponents of corporal punishment believe that diplomatic approach to discipline makes children grow into morally reprehensible adults.
It is true there are also many examples of pampered individuals who end up as failures and social misfits. But it should also be noted that research carried out on children has revealed that many prefer parents or teachers who set clear boundaries and help them know the difference between wrong and right.
In class performance, the cane might produce the desired short- term results, but in the long run it jeopardizes the development of character and creates a child who lacks self motivation.
Striking a delicate balance between the stick and the carrot remains one of the greatest challenges of our times. A handbook is good, but it must be understood that the use of the cane is too entrenched in our cultural set up to be dropped easily.
Parents and teachers need proper sensitisation to help them appreciate that there is more to discipline than the use of stick or carrot.
THE use of the cane to improve academic performance or motivate good behaviour has been a subject of debate for long.
The controversy hit its peak five years ago when the education ministry slapped a ban on corporal punishment in schools and colleges following reports of injury on students.
Many schools continued to use corporal punishment in spite of the ban. In November 2008, the education ministry launched a handbook detailing alternative approaches to punishment which many school have not adhered to.
A US study has revealed that caning, random slapping or shouting is likely to make children more aggressive.
The proponents of corporal punishment believe that diplomatic approach to discipline makes children grow into morally reprehensible adults.
It is true there are also many examples of pampered individuals who end up as failures and social misfits. But it should also be noted that research carried out on children has revealed that many prefer parents or teachers who set clear boundaries and help them know the difference between wrong and right.
In class performance, the cane might produce the desired short- term results, but in the long run it jeopardizes the development of character and creates a child who lacks self motivation.
Striking a delicate balance between the stick and the carrot remains one of the greatest challenges of our times. A handbook is good, but it must be understood that the use of the cane is too entrenched in our cultural set up to be dropped easily.
Parents and teachers need proper sensitisation to help them appreciate that there is more to discipline than the use of stick or carrot.