Corporal punishment in schools

Interviews and photos by David Papannah

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has been holding consultations on corporal punishment in schools in the wake of several violent incidents in the school system. We asked residents of Rose Hall and New Amsterdam for their views:

Ronald Gobin – pensioner: ‘They should bring it back in to the school system. We used to find when [corporal punishment] was in school it was used to discipline children and they were brought up good. Children had a better behaviour in society but since they take it out from school you find there are more problems in schools. If those days were good then they should bring it back. They should try it back and see if it could work and if so, then they should let it a part of the education system.’

Ishmael King – vendor: ‘Yes! I think they should because if you spare the rod and spoil the child then it would encourage them to do bad things.  Removing corporal punishment from the school system was wrong because since then the children get disrespectful to teachers also since that happens children turn idle and they do not do their work. If they bring it back maybe society and the children might be different.’

Samantha Fraser – housewife: ‘It should come back, yes. But they should beat for a cause. Children are getting out of hand these days. You would find children telling teachers they can’t beat them and they are not the parent. If they do bring it back then when they are disciplining the child they should do it in a decent way not to leave any marks of violence on the child skin. They should let the children know why they are receiving licks and parents should find out why the child get licks and not go and holler up on the teacher cause when the children see that they would get out of hand.’

Rosmand Batson – pensioner: ‘It is right to have that law in school. It was a bad idea for taking it out of school. In my days at school if you do not do the work you get licks and when you go and complain at home you get more. Now nobody respect anyone they cursing up on the road in front of old people all. Since they take out that law children start to hit teachers lose their manners and respect. Students need the touching up to keep them in line and beat for a good cause. When they do bring it back the teachers should beat with consent.’

R. April – seaman: ‘I don’t think they should bring it back because some parents are crazy and would get upset when their children get licks. It is a form of discipline yes but children would not want anyone else to beat them other than their parents rather than a teacher. Beating a child would also cause children to want to raise back their hands at a teacher especially if the teacher is young. So I don’t think it should be in school because it would cause a lot of story between parents and teachers.’

Boris Ramcharran – ice cream vendor: ‘They should reintroduce the system back in schools where children should be disciplined. It should be used for those students who have no proper manners and in schools that are low ranked. Because of no corporal punishment in school you have students stabbing up their fellow students and so on. They should also use proper methods of discipline like couple lashes in the hand for the girls and bench the boys like in long ago.’

Abdool Rashidack – businessman: ‘Well if they do not have licks then they would turn out to be bad they need to get their touching up in order to keep discipline. Talking alone would not help the situation. Sometimes you do talk and talk and don’t see any result and because they do not have any licks. They wear all kind of clothing to school; there is no law to discipline the student in school so I think they should really bring back corporal punishment in schools it would serve the society real good.’

Dexter Brijadder – newspaper vendor: ‘Licks should have always been in the school system. Children have no discipline since it was removed. So I totally agree with it to be in school. But if a teacher should beat a child they should not beat to brutalise and leave marks of violence on the child skin. They should do it in a professional manner and parents should allow. If licks come back in the school system it would also help the students that have just finished school and are teaching. Teachers should also have friendly conversation with students this would help students and teachers to have a better understanding.’

Sharon McAlister – security guard: ‘I agree one hundred percent with corporal punishment in school. I brought up my child with corporal punishment and it is proven to be good. In my days I pass through it with many others who grew up to be respectable people in the community. Nobody never complain about teachers beating up their children unless it is serious. But since the corporal punishment stop in school society has changed nobody have respect for one another. Teachers used to discipline children with a little spanking but they can’t do that know parents would be ready to abuse the teacher. When it is back into practice I don’t think the teachers should beat to leave marks on the children skin but six lashes in their hands or across their bottom should do.’

Nirvana Ramtirat – university student: ‘It should stay abolished from schools because it’s an old method of teaching children. Instead of aiding teaching and disciplining it only serves to frighten students. It’s also a means of bullying students into submission. The government and schools need to create alternative means to teach and discipline students. Detention could be enforced for example. Teachers need to stop being friends with students and take their roles of educator and disciplinarian more seriously. Leading by example should be effective.’