CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 138, 12 June 1936, Page 6

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

This controversy began, I believe, on account of children being unnecessarily punished for inability to do their school work. It has developed—or should I say deteriorated? —to such an extent that some of your correspondents suggest giving medals to boys for committing indecent acts, and mention "Red" amateur organisations and the "taming of lions" during the war. How the human mind evolves, revolves, and devolves! There is no doubt that the majority of parents deem it unnecessary to reply to such manifest misrepresentations. It is generally recognised throughout the civilised world that the strap or cane is useful for maintaining order and decency in the schools. But what of : the teacher who," when the boys are lined up in the playground, walks behind them with a strap, whacking on the calf of the leg those who are out of line? What of the teacher who, all day. long, straps boys and girls indiscriminately on the hand, the arm and the leg, pulls their ears, not for unruliness, but solely for mistakes in lessons? Here is friend "Square Deal's" "lion-tamer"-in embryo—only without the lions. But then one must not judge all teachers from men of this calibre. What of the retired headmaster who, when he visits his old school, is immediately surrounded by laughing, dancing children, whose confidence and respect he had earned and still retains ? Here is a different type of "lion-tamer," and for such as these parents have lasting praise, gratitude and esteem. But with all due regard to others of your correspondents, one feels there must be room for much improvement in regard to the infliction of corporal punishment in schools, else this controversy would never have reached the stage where correspondents use extreme expressions in defence of some of the "liontamers." Personally, I sincerely hope that the Education Department will give this phase of school life a thorough overhauling, which no doubt is long overdue. DUMMY RIFLES FOR DRILL.