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1000 ways to
a Comeback
ment is an invasion of human rights that
merely covers up evils in our system
which cause children to get into trouble
in the first place.
A survey by the National Education
Association shows that teachers think
Johnny is less to blame for the mis
behavior than are lax parents, over
crowded classrooms, and inadequate recre
ational programs. Spanking won't get to
the root of Johnny's problem, they say;
instead, it may make him even more re
sentful of school.
Opponents fear, too, that corporal pun
ishment will find its greatest advocates in
the ineffectual or temperamental teacher
who uses it to compensate for his own
shortcomings in handling children.
In a survey by an educational publica
tion, The Nation's Schools, a Maryland
superintendent reported, "Our school
board does not prohibit corporal punish
ment but thinks the best teachers do not
need to use it." And Dr. Percival M.
Symonds, president of the American Edu
cational Research Association, who has
studied corporal punishment's effects, says
that spanking often is used by a teacher
to satisfy his own needs, not the pupil's,
and may actually inhibit a youngster's
ability to learn.
"the pro side of the debate recognizes
' that spanking doesn't correct un
derlying causes of misbehavior such
as poor home training and inadequate
schools. But they feel that the hickory
stick induces mischievous youngsters to
accept authority rather than rebel
against it.
The idea was summed up by Britain's
Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, who
defended "caning" by saying, "A good
beating with a cane can have a remarkable
sense of awakening on the mind and con
science of a boy."
Advocates of corporal punishment agree
that spanking is not the best means of
discipline, but they maintain it is the most
expedient under today's conditions. The
crowded classes and teacher shortages
which contribute to misbehavior, they say,
also prevent schools from devoting pre
cious time and money to the few trouble
makers and winning them over with
"sweetness and light" psychology.
An example of the changing attitude of
educators occurred in Ventura, Calif.,
when the board of education considered
hiring a psychiatrist at $1,104 a month for
"problem pupils." The board asked the
county supervisor for his opinion, and he
replied, "It would be a lot cheaper to hire
switches for the teachers." The board
dropped the subject.
Teachers in metropolitan areas have
more than twice the number of "problem
pupils" reported in smaller urban and
rural communities. Yet only one urban
teacher in 20 has the right to administer
corporal punishment; in non-metropolitan
areas 56 percent have this authority and
in rural areas 66 percent.
It's debatable whether small-town
teachers have better-behaved classes be
cause they can spank, but nearly half the
big-city teachers feel they'd have less
trouble if they could march Johnny to the
woodshed occasionally.
Courts uphold the teacher's right to
paddle up to a point. In one case
a boy, slapped by a teacher, was
bruised on his head and neck. Charged
with assault and battery, the teacher
proved the youth had been a constant
troublemaker and had disrupted a school
assembly with foul language. The court
found the teacher's actions justified.
On the other hand, an Arkansas teacher
was found guilty of the same charge for
twice whipping a 15-year-old boy for a
minor offense. The punishment was ex
cessive, the court held.
Pro-spanking teachers want restrictions
on corporal punishment to prevent such
abuses. They believe a definite code should
be followed to protect the pupil against
too-frequent spankings, maltreatment, and
intemperate teachers.
Cincinnati has a set of regulations which
shows how such a code might work. When
Johnny constantly misbehaves, his teacher
reports him to the principal, who decides
on spanking only as "a last resort."
The principal or an aide administers the
spanking only "with the palm of his hand
or a broad paddle." A witness must be
present, and the principal must report the
action to the administrative department.
The regulations warn against malice and
unreasonable force; spanking is prohibited
"at a time when the person administering
it is angered or impassioned."
Such limits on corporal punishment,
advocates say, prevent a spanking from
leaving the student with any aftereffects
other than the impression he would be
better off cooperating with his elders.
That's a lesson that should be taught at
Father's knee, both teachers and super
intendents agree. Usually it is. But when
it isn't, most of them believe the rod
should be added to education's "three r's."
Family Weekly, October 13, 1957
17
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