THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1899. PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3726, 28 April 1899, Page 4

THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1899. PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS.

WttH WHICH IS ISCOKPOP.ATKD THE WELLINGTON Independent, Established 1845

Consequent on a case of assault on a school* teacher heard in n southern Court not long ago, arising out of a parent’s anger* at his child having been caned, some attention lias lately been directed to the general question of corporal ,puuisbment in schools. There has always been much difference of opinion expressed in discussions oil this subject in the past, and'during the past few weeks the same variance of opinion lias been displayed regarding fho efficiency bf the rod as a means by, which the younger generation may be kept on the Harrow path of scholastic* righteousness. But in nearly every, instance the points deserving of most attention have been carefully avoided in the. larger generalities indulged in. Those '-points • are,, the method of such punishment, by whom it is inflicted, for what' reasons,'and when and where. A controversy on ' any subject is seldom ’ satisfactorily concluded by a "'direct affirmation or negation. There are necessarily many qualifications attaching' to a. direct expression of opinion. For instance, the use of the lash on criminals meets with the approval of some jurists, in the same way : as it calls forth the reprobation of others, hilt the iqrmcr. never advocate its indiscriminate use. They may believe that its application to persons convicted of some special forms of crime may have the" effect of ‘deterring the culprit from further vicious outbreaks and at the same time;act .is a salutary warning to possible (future offenders. . Great care is, exeroised in the application of any,such-drastic remedy, whicn can only be, done by direction Of S'nprem ? Court .Judges—men specially selected for their'capacity to,.in some sort of,way,at least, make the punishment fit the crime.

A direct'answer of “Yes" or “No” vj ■the,proposition, “Should corpor/d punishment’,', be. .permitted, in schools?” hardly exhausts the subject. Few people, we apprehend/can see anythin); particularly admirable ’ in the conduct , of,- a school where a pupil could he (logged by anybody or everybody ; where he might at 'ant time be subjected to a. forniof punishment which' tiny "parent, of , ordinary decency would only inflict after rvery grave consideration. - Neither do we suppose there are biaiiy persons 6£ .adult age who .think that 1 the ordinary State, school, witn its complex'conditions of working, can very well be. efficiently conducted unless it is in' the power of the' 'controlling bead tc assert.his authority in cayes where it may perhaps, be defied by unruly!, scholars, or to maintain the discipline, and it may he the moral j tpne, pf the children placed under diis carp. . r There is obviously a vasj betweenthetwo posi tions/'an'd it is that "happy medium alone which" can.cbmniend itself to the reasonable inlnd.,! Extremes are-, objectionable under'any circumstanees, lint'taking inti consideration the position of afl’ijiys. us they are in most primary, schools, it may fairly lie. conceded lhat-if the use of, tl: ■» cane- r, is;, restricted- to ■ the. headmaster alone/ and propel; cave is taken, in the selection "of‘tliat’,officer,; little harm will result; j on the contrary, the task of the assistants may be made desa;. irksome 'and the lot of the children more happy. Any • thing like hastiness -or undue harshness in punishment should not he permitted under any circumstances whatever,, ami thp infliction of corporal, punishment by the ordinary class .teacher should ,lie absolutely prohibited. It ns no • exaggeration to say that in many there is a gross abuse of tbo assumed right to, punish scholars among the-subordinate masters. Too often the unoffending youngsters .are. subjected to floggings altogether -out-of proportion to their, -misdeeds. , For instance, in one institution, failure to spell a word correctly, inability to "write without inky fingers, incapacity to, remember the date of the.battle.of Aginconrt, or whether i certain-verb is transitive or intransitive, were all visifed. with an application the strap; I ,,..Jt.yvpuldjbeai- waste, of words to point.out the absurdity, even the brutality/ of such tactics as these, The only charitable' excuse, that can be advanced is to be found in; the supposition that the persons responsible were either unfitted for the positions in which they found themselves; pr. were suffering; from : temporary loss of self-control. In any- case*- children should not be subjected to the vagaries of incompetent instructors such ns are sometimes met with in the ranks cf those pursuing an honourable and often thankless- calling—hectoring bullies, who are men only when among children, and children among men.. Harsh and unjust treatment of pupils generally results in engende-ring in the young mind a dislike, almost a hatred of the master, which in many, cases will remain after school days havepassed. There are not wanting men in New Zealand who look back with horror oil the years they spent under the rule. of. some such master a ; we have described.- Ideally', of course, there is no more justification for. flogging in school .tfian there ig elsewhere, but if the correction is administered judicially and fairly, with a due regard for the temperament of the culprit, public feeling will not he very strong on the subject. The Education Boards and Committees should keep a strict eye on the system, and rigorously put down any abuse of it.

School teachers themselves should also endeavour to prevent any cause, being given for complaint. Trie matter is iv, their hands principally. If they rise tc a proper appreciation of the. relation' between themselves and the children many unfortunate misunderstandings <A one another will he removed.