It is apparent from a recent letter to the editor that corporal punishment is still being carried out in schools by some teachers.
The dilemma of the escalation of indiscipline in schools poses a threat to both teachers and students. Normally, there is little time to get to the bottom or root cause of the indiscipline in each student.
This situation will only get worse if no changes are made to the education system and no changes are made by parents in the home.
Monitoring children
Parents need to set limits on television, both in the amount of time it is watched and the types of programmes watched; there is good television and bad television.
Computers have to be severely monitored - there are good elements on the Internet, but there are also very bad influences.
Additionally, many parents today have no idea who their children's friends are and, of course, there are children who make good companions and those who do not.
To any extent that parents can monitor the peer relationships, it will have an impact on the child. This means that parents will have to come together as they did in the past.
Why corporal punishment works or doesn't depends on the psychological make-up of the child and the interaction with the external environment.
Hearing the rod
The invasion and intrusion of 'dirty' stuff from the outside world into the home is very challenging. Having been raised in a 'clean' home, I can testify to the value of it. There was no television, no computer, no foul language, no fighting, no spanking, and no abuse, but the rod was not spared and the Bible was read every night.
As a matter of fact, I can swear to the value of learning to read from the Bible. In retrospect, I had quite a blissful preschool childhood.
Sparing the hearing of the rod can spoil the children, making them 'ungodly' and indisciplined well into their adult years. Feeling the rod can do harm, but hearing the rod (the word of God) brings healing.
I am, etc.,
A.M. ANSARI
stop1998@aol.com_
STOP Corporal Punishment
in Schools
Via Go-Jamaica