News reports yesterday suggest that the Ministry of Education will soon pronounce on the issue of the flogging of ten Queen’s College students by a senior teacher which occurred on May 16. The matter had attracted wide publicity and a report by the Board of Governors containing recommendations has been submitted to the Ministry of Education which is being reviewed. It is expected that the Ministry’s focus will be on the incident at Queen’s College and not on the broader question of corporal punishment in schools. Yet there are few issues that attract more controversy and others consider of less compelling urgency.
The Ministry of Education approves the flogging of children in schools. The Manual of Guidelines for the Maintenance and Discipline in Schools, defines the reasons for which it can be used as follows: fighting, use of indecent language, gross insubordination, display of unacceptable behaviours, or in grave circumstances. These “offences” are not further defined. It might well be considered that “unacceptable behaviours” and “grave circumstances” give too latitude or discretion in making determinations as to what they encompass. It is not known if these Guidelines have been further defined or developed as they were promulgated since 2002. But it is to be noted that it is a detailed and extensive document which provides a role for the home and the community in formulating and implementing a Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy.