Dear Editor,
Please allow space in your newspaper to respond to some questions recently raised on the use of corporal punishment in our schools. First, I would like to thank your readers for their questions. I am aware that corporal punishment is not popular in many countries, but I am also aware of a number of locations where the use of stern discipline has been proven to be extremely effective.
Singapore is a great example of where students may be caned. This however is not done in isolation and is complemented with counseling and guidance for the students, as was the case in the top High Schools of our country. It should also be noted that in the Judicial System of Singapore caning is also used as an effective deterrent to criminal activity. Today Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world when compared to developed countries. Some of these developed countries such as the USA have a trend in this metric that is unfavourable showing an increase in criminal activity. Unfortunately in some cases these “modern” countries that have eliminated stern forms of discipline have been subject to very dangerous behaviour in their schools such as mass shootings and extensive gang violence. Their prison systems have also grown and are now seen more as a source of profit in some corners of their society. In many cases they have also chosen to eliminate the death penalty. This has led to many repeat offenders and an ineffective justice system when compared to other cultures that have shown some of the best results in the world for the reduction of criminal activity.
In the Guyanese context it should be noted that the death penalty (appropriate in some instances) is the end in our society for those who take the path of violent crime that may lead to the killing of others. When we compare the consequences of uncorrected early bad behaviour it becomes an easier choice to implement a very stern and disciplined approach to prevent the total loss of that human being. It is also a matter of the culture that we are willing to create in our society. I remember Mrs. Massiah at BHS and am also aware of Mr. Trotz at QC. The discipline within the school system went far beyond caning and this was seen as a last resort for correcting the behaviour of the students. Any process of correcting students in the school system will have to be clearly outlined and taught to the teaching staff. Whether it is the time out concept, detention, suspension, caning and counseling (which can also include parent participation); our process for instilling discipline in our students needs uniformity with the goal of correcting behaviour and should not be used as an opportunity to abuse our children. The process of student inspection during the Monday and Friday general assemblies by Teachers and Prefects was a great indicator of the level of discipline within the student body as a whole and was also a way to clearly identify any issues at the individual student level. Signs of potential conflict were also easily identified during this process.
Our close knit society is one where our elders’ ability to correct the bad behaviour seen in the public realm was both invited and embraced by others. A child’s bad behaviour would be corrected when witnessed and their parents informed of what was occurring. This was and is a major deterrent to the unwanted behaviour in our youths. Also it should be noted that no one wants to see a child abused by an abusive parent and this same village culture or small community culture which exists in our society helps prevent and correct such risks especially at a young age.
Once again, I appreciate your concerns, but we must keep our minds open to a holistic approach towards cultivating our future society, and the best practices that can be implemented sometimes reside in countries outside of those that are the most powerful and influential.
Yours faithfully,
Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of
Guyana (CRG)
