 Corporal
Punishment
SUPPORT:
Dear JacksonFive,
Being a teacher, I agree to use the corporal punishment.
Especially when
they have bad behaviors, such as disturbing in class, motorcycling, smoking,
cheating during the exam. etc. Obviously, they didn't obey the school
rules.
If they aren't honest in the school, will they be good in the future society?
Best wishes.
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Dear JacksonFive,
How r u doing? Haven't received ur mail for a
while :)
Anyway, as for the corporal punishment, the issue has been in dispute in
Taiwan. In fact, I'm also a teacher (teaching Children Eng.), so I start
thinking about this problem. Just like u said, in the past, corporal
punishment is a common way to discipline kids and students. Nobody
thinks it's a wrong way, and sometimes some parents even ask the
teacher to use corporal punishment in order to discipline their children.
We can't deny it that corporal punishment does work, and that's why it
still exists in Taiwan now! But is it still working now? Well, it depends.
Some people believe corporal punishment is still the best and only way to
discipline the kids, but some people don't think so anymore! Maybe they
have the right concept just like the western people, or maybe they just
don't wanna let their kids get oppressed (spoil, I think!). Anyway, what's
my opinion? Actually, I think proper corporal punishment is necessary. Why
is that? Ummm.........I'm sorry I can't give u a persuadable reason, but I just
guess corporal punishment does work on some "naughty kids". (at least
for Chinese kids) ^_^ But don't worry, I never use corporal punishment, cuz I
like kids and kids like me,too!! :)
In short, it's hard to abolish this "tradition" in a short time. IT TAKES
TIME, u know! :)
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Dear JacksonFive,
Thanks for your newsletter, issue 31. I'd like to express my personal
opinion about corporal punishment of children. First of all , I think it's
nothing about right or wrong but improvement of children. Maybe you
don't agree with me but you can't deny sometimes, corporal is fastest
and the most effective way to improve child's behavior from repeating
mistakes.
For some children physical punishment is the best way to restrain them
from doing bad thing (e.g. Stealing and so on ,this kind of criminal
behavior could commit again and again). That's a saying "spare the rod
and spoil the child". I'm not totally agree with that.
I guess the physical punishment only works while it works otherwise it
is vain. There're too many fatal traps and too much wrong information
in our society. You can't be there to protect them all the time. But you
gotta educate them the principle to tell what is right or wrong. Sometimes
physical punishment could show your anger and discipline their behavior
immediately, especially repeating the mistakes and ignoring them on
purpose. I think that would be no necessary to discipline them by this
brutal way while your child has the capability to argue or discuss with
you the issue.
I guess there're always two sides of any issue. If we can do it properly
and never let it out of control. Although, it needs lots of wisdoms and
patient. This is the mid-way our Confucious said, isn't it?
Sincerely yours,
Jimmy
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MAYBE:
Dear Jackson,
I think that corporal punishment is necessary sometimes even thought
I was a victim of it in this education system. But first I have to
know --why? If teachers or parents punishment from love, I think I will
forgive them because they just did a wrong to tell how much they love
me and I know I desert it. This kind of wound will recovery soon.
I love my parents, but I hate my teacher in junior high school.
She
maltreated us everyday. She not only did physical punishment but also
mentally punished us. She wanted us to enter a good high school so
she beat us in school, even on holidays. Maybe she really love us
so she disciplined us when she was unsatisfied with our grades, but
there is one thing I couldn't figure out so far even though I graduated for
ten years. Why did she ask my classmates and I to go to her place to
be housekeepers during school days. That is so ridiculous. isn't it?
Sometimes, I will be awaked by this nightmare, and I couldn't stop my
tears.
I worked for a preschool for one year. Maybe you want to ask me,
"Jill
have you ever punished your students in preschool?" My answer is "yes,
I did." This is not my revenge, believe me. Sometimes, in order to protect
them away from danger, I would show them how angry I am. This is
an immediate and effective way to let them know and remember what
danger is? In my opinions, let them get wound me rather than let them
hate me. They will understand one day. After they did some wrong, I
will give them some chances to correct them. If they mean to and keep
doing it, I will give them some symbolic punishment and let them know why?
All Jill's act is due to Jill love them and worry about them. I don't want to
see them get hurt and I am sorry about my act. As I know the example is
better then perception. Isn't it?
Without mistakes, we can learn nothing. In my opinion, proper punishment
is necessary, sometimes it is useful to deter and reach the protection. I
just do not agree with maltreatment.
Jill
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As you mentioned about corporal punishment, I have to say that it is really
popular in Taiwan. Take me for example. I always remember my 5th grade
history teacher whom hit my head so hurt. Why did he hit me? The reason
was I made a mistake for my answer. Even now, I can't forget the hurt in
my mind.
In my family, we are not allowed to say any dirty words. It is a rule. Yes,
I broke this rule once and the payment is to kneel in front of our ancient
board (You might be known in a Traditional Chinese Family, we worship
Buhda and ancestors. Some families put Buhda and ancestors in the living
room). about 1 hour. My brother and sister got the same punishment with
me because they didn't stop me to say the dirty words. It worked. I never
say any dirty words again.
In my opinion, whether corporal punishment should be made illegal or
not,
it is not very important. If you don't let your kids know which wrong they
made, they will never understand why they get punishment.
Have a nice day!!
Best Regards,
Rebecca
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I'm not a corporal punishment supporter. However, it somewhat and
sometimes works for some absent-minded children. Let me put it in this
way. I'll say it's a way of reminding them not to do something wrong. My
niece has a bad habit of putting her thumb into her mouth all the time. After
thousands of times of telling her that bacteria will get into her body through
her thumb, but without any obvious effect, I hit her thumb off her mouth
once when I lost my patience. After that, she became more alert whenever
she puts her thumb in and stops that immediately. This is what I think
about corporal punishment. Thank you.
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Dear Jacksonfive,
I don't like considered things just by single one way and give a right
or wrong conclusion, Anything being are conditioned by some necessary
conditions, if those conditions change, the being is different from
original
state.
I support corporal punishment, but it is under the condition that children
are clearly wrong, not just an accident event or a few neglect, then the
punishment is effective. Additionally, we can't hurt children's spirit
so we
can remain a good influence in the future's is the most essential principle.
Corporal punishment is not the best way to discipline children. I don't
like corporal punishment to my children, but also oppose interdicting it. I
just worry the user who used corporal punishment use it as a mood
release, but not any help for children to know what happened? What is his
wrong?
Children is no wrong, the adult disciplined result in. I know very much
education workers and parents just merely used corporal punishment to
communicate authoritativeness to them, but not any function of discipline
existed. It is a very bad demonstration to children.
This is my opinion mentioned above. If there is any way can be taken
to instead of it, I select them without any hesitation.
You are a good teacher, Looking after children requires patience,
Best Regards
Haydn
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AGAINST:
Dear JacksonFive:
How are you? This is my first time to write an email to you. I enjoy
reading the articles that you have sent to me. Thank you for that.
The issue on this weekly newsletter talks about corporal punishment. I
support corporal punishment should be discouraged.
Here, I'd like to share my experiences about this issue. Two months ago,
I tried to be a teaching assistant in a children language centre for getting
some experiences of teaching English. But things didn't go this way.
Actually, I found that most of my job was taking care of children at the
daycare. Because of that, I did find that teachers in the daycare centre
using corporal punishment. (well, I was a little be shocked by that.) The
common situation was: when a teacher needs to discipline children, the
most quick and useful way for them is corporal punishment. But, I found
that those punishments discouraged students a lot. Sometimes they were
scared. I had asked students who studying there that whether they have
been physically punished at school or not. All their answers were NO. I
was so glad to hear that. I still remember that corporal punishment was
very common at campuses when I was young. It was accepted by teachers
and parents in the early days. Because they believed it was the most
effective way for disciplining children.
Now, it's good to see that there are some people urging that corporal
punishment should be banned in the campus. No matter mentally or
physically, it hurts students. "Corporal punishment is the way that
shows teachers and parents are just losing their patience on children",
one of my friends said.
Best regards,
Irene
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Dear Jacksonfive,
Corporal punishment is the easiest and most effective method to get the
result immediately, therefore, it often is being taken as a reason of
discipline by educators who use it.
Educator have to be a painstaking worker just as a missionary.
Children's discipline is not easy and have to be continually improve.
An educator must do painstaking effort and can't always use the most
simply way of corporal punishment without concern for the future
damage
caused to the children.
In generally, Corporal punishment is often use as an excuse of
educators'
or/and parents' idle, who don't consider the bad influence to children and
find some better ways to discipline children.
Best Regards
Haydn
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JacksonFive,
The first, pls accept my sincere appreciation for keeping me informed of
your news.
Talking about the physical punishment for educating children, like many
other people, I suffered a lot from it. In my childhood, almost all parents
and teachers around me thought it the best way to correct children's
behavior. Those children grew up and continued with it because they
didn't know a better way. I was one of them.
My son is 10 years old now. Since he was in the kindergarten, he has
suffered from countless physical punishments in school, daycares or at
home. I was finally disgusted at that way because I found that violence
had not only taken a big share in his daily life but also influenced his
conception of life. So, I changed. It took very long for both of us to
have a paradigm shift but we are happy with the change.
I don't agree to physical punishment in schools or daycares. The owner
of my son's previous daycare once took almost one hour to convince me
why his teacher punished my son was for the purpose of loving him. I felt
very sick and stopped using that daycare. Thank God - now my son can
manage his daily homework at home by himself without a need of a
daycare .
Best regards
Judy
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Hi there,
As a teacher, I don't think corporal punishment is an effective method to
teach students either their manners or their knowledge. Some students
are just a little bit slow at learning and are too shy to let their teachers
know their problems. So, beating them doesn't help at all. As for those
so-called "problem students," corporal punishment means nothing to them
at all, for their parents abuse them either verbally or physically often. And,
industrious students don't need physical punishment to push them study
at all. So, in conclusion, corporal punishment simply doesn't work.
However, ironically, many parents send their children to private schools so
that their kids can be "well disciplined." Believe it or not, many parents
ask us to give their kids some "proper corporal punishment" and even tell
me where could I get a lasting "Little Hand of Love."
Trying to arouse students' interest about the subject you're teaching is
probably a more useful method. It's easier said than done. The teacher
must have passion for teaching and a thorough understanding of the
subject. Most important of all, teachers have to improve either their
expertise or their knowledge of fashions as often as possible. "Stay low"
and try to understand students' problems. Many teachers complain their
students' stupidity. I guess they forget the fact that many years ago, they
too had a hard time tackling with those subjects like English or
mathematics.
I'm looking forward to reading your next article about this issue. And,
thanks a lot for sharing with me your precious experience.
Faithfully yours,
Catherine
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Dear Jackson,
Nice to get your message again, I was wondering that maybe my
email address was missing in your computer? Really, I am so glad to get
your articles and some surveys.
Regarding the first question, I strongly vote for the con side (def. against
totally). Since children is our future, without them, the human being will
definite vanish, how can we use the corporal punishment to treat them? it
will hurt not only their body but also their mind. I was the victim of
corporal
punishment, when I was a child; thus after being a adult, I suffered setbacks
and frustrations. I thought that I wasn't smart and clever to do
anything,
I was always a loser in any field.
Luckily, at the age of 40, I took a course, than I retrieve my confidence and
got the message about what life is meaning to me, it was because this
reason that I chose to be my own boss, do what I want to do and pursue my
goal to be a authentic and responsible person to care about my physical
universe, now I have a wonderful family and a bunch of good friends, I also
believed that friends help friends succeed! With this supportive and positive
attitude, I did gain a lot of credits from not only Chinese but also
foreigners.
Isn't it great?
I disclosed the magic box from the
course, I found that there are only
self-esteem, encourage, motivation, support, positive thinking, help,
living at
present, unconditional love, responsibility, commitment, goal, action,
team work, and so on.
I realized that to make children more optimistic,
we have to support them,
even when they made a mistake. There must be a way rather than
corporal punishment to discipline our children. It depends on how parents
think! Besides, childhood never come back as the time goes by!
Currently,
I served as vice president for PTA (Parents committee) in my children's
school, I did a lot of volunteer for school, I believed that Good example would
lead children to do their best both in their curricular and mental development!
Sorry bother you for a long words, my opinion is that
"Don't ask why children
never do the right thing, ask are you in the right track to educate them?"
Love
Sterling
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