SPARING THE ROD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23995, 19 June 1941, Page 13

SPARING THE ROD

Sir.—May I have some space to reply to Henry J. Hay ward? In my letter I said: "Anti-rod (the modern 'rod' is really a light: strap) people always write as ii the use of "the rod"' involved a brutal assault, ending in a soreh injured casualty—almost a hospital' case." "I-1.J.H." runs very true to form. His letter talks of "school flogging ." "fear." "force." "the Hogging school rod," etc. A perusal of my letter will show that not one line o| it car. he interpreted as advocating such things. He says, "If lie could travel in the enlightened countries (I may say I have had long tours through the linked States, Canada. Kngland. Scot - laud. Wales, fiw; European countries Victoria and New South Wales and also a "round the world" tour) lie would meet thousands of teachers who can control and educate children without the 'rod.' " Now everyone knows that in every group of from .'SO to 40 chddren there will he one or two who. if not controlled. will misconduct themselves in such a way that peace vanishes, and the work of teachers and pupils suffers until something is done to end the unpleasantness. .Most teachers will end it with a few taps of a strap, which will not hurt as much as a hump from a cricket hall or a good tackle at football; but it is such a very unpleasant interlude for vhe culprit that it is generally immediately effective* and work once more proceeds smoothly and happily for all, H..J.H " says, " 'Ex-Teacher' search lights his 'fainilv of young ruffians' and asks reformers (what a modest word!) what, tliev arc going to do about them." J said the "young ruffians" would have to be expelled or disciplined, and that expulsion would he unfair and unjust, "H.J.H " carefully sidestepped the problem, He states that I said, "Flogging hurts the master more than the pupil."

The word "flog" or "flogging" did not appear' in my letter. What I did say was, ''Teachers hate the rod even more than the recipients do" —a very, very dillereut statement. "11.. J. 11. concludes with. ' 'Kx-Teaohor' would have them flogged lor tin*' sins ol their fathers." What a monstrously untrue statement to make! Not a line or a word in my letter to lustily it. I n eonelusion, may I ask and his "reformer" friends to cut out references to "force," "flogging," "fear," "the school flogging rods," etc., as they are not in the discussion. No sane person advocates such things. And tin' roil (strap) is never to he applied tor a punil's inability to do any class of school work. It is advocated only (in small doses, and as a last resort) for the 2 or < per cent who can do the work but will not; and (perhaps in larger doses) lor the rare cases of persistent misbehaviour which retards the work and mars the progress and happiness of all the pupils and teachers in the delinquent's classroom. In these eases, nothing but good comes from the use of "the rod." No unbiassed leaflet could read more than the above into my first letter. So Ia r as I am concerned the discussion ends here. Kx-Thaciikr