SCHOOL PUNISHMENT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 10 May 1912, Page 5

SCHOOL PUNISHMENT

(To the Editor.)

4. iir? c recent Eltham School trouble has only made more evident the paltriness of some parents as regards the school punishment of their children. I am a parent with one child attending a public school, and I do not wish either to uphold or cast reflections upon the actions of anyone concerned in the recent trouble; but at the same time I do not see why a teacher should be called to book almost every time some children are punished. The teacher's work is no light burden, having to conj » w**n *ne temperaments of so many different children. He is appointed to carry out and follow a syllabus of work, and this cannot be done without the maintenance of discipline. Any child so provoking must be" duly punished to prevent a recurrence of the action as well as to warn others. I might here mention that a teacher also has control of children going to and from school. Thus lack of discipline is detrimental to the results at the end of the year and none of these 'complaining parents would care to be told that his son's failure was -due to his bad behaviour. Then, again, what is there to complain of in the punishment inflicted with a wide straw, even if it is used by a man ? How does it compare with the good old cane of a few years ago ? In these days boys were punished, and less was said than now. Usually, if a boy told his parents of a caning at school, another was administered at home for having: so disgraced himself at school. And what was the result The boys were none the worse, and far more manly than the present day little milksops, who are upheld by their parents in all their actions, and taught to defy instead of respect their teachers. Probably those same parents would be astonished ni the behaviour of their children if they could see their actions away from home, and would not be so ready to listen to all complaints of school life.

Of coir-se no cMld physically or mentally -n-eak 'should be punished, neither should n child be brutally or unjustly punished: but this. I think, can rarely be apolied to any of our teachers.

It is a generally noted fact that those children who are seldom (if ever) Dunished at home (not because they don't need it, goodness knows) give most trouble at school; and those indulgent parents will probably find their sons will grow up with far less respect and love . than the boys who have been treated to a ?ood chastisement when they deserved it.

A PARENT