SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 108, 8 May 1936, Page 2

SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ( Per Press Association. ) AUCKLAND, May 6. A ruling that the board stiongly disapproved of corporal punishment for inii'iility to do school woik. but considered that teachers should have the right to inflict corporal punishment for serious offences was given bv Mr ’l'. U. Wells, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, at a meeting of the board to-day. Mr W. J. Campbell drew the board’s attention to recent correspondence in the Press on the subject of corporal punishment in schools. II? nointed out that under the regulation-, Lamed by the board five years ago i'll corporal punishments sh-oubl be viitcred by teachers in a punishment bool; and he asked if that was being done. The chairman said punishment books wore examined every quarter bv the secretary. Mr Dunlop, who would report to the board any instances of 100 ■severe punishment. “I have written to one or two tea-cihers regarding punishments shown in their books,” stated Mr Dunlop, “but we have to depend on the twehers Ibcing honest enough to e.ilei in their books particulars of every infliction of corporal punishment. Wo have no cheek on whether they do or no* ” “Teachers of the type g’nen to inflicting excessive corporal punishment arc not likely to enter up their punishment books correctly,” remarked the Hon. A. Burns. “A teacher who relies on the cane to teaVh is as out of date as the captain who u:o] to think that man-o’-warsmen would not work unless they were flogged frequently, but I think there are some grounds for complaints. ’ ’ Mr Dunlop reported having held an inquiry into an alleged case of excessive punishment. The. parents and the teachers differed as to the amount of punishment given, though the teacher admitted giving more than she should [have done. Tt was found that r.o entry [had been made in the punishment book. I The board decided to censure the • teacher and advise her that ju the event of her again failing to enter punishImmts in her returns the hoard would consider terminating her engagement.