Part of the series: Global Issues in Education (India)
Click on the picture to visit the story
‘Spare the rod/cane and spoil the child.’ This is an old adage that has lost its relevance as time has changed. The adage has lost its relevance and adherence because people realized that caning only impairs proper development of a student. With time, the culture and social outlook of people have also changed. Regrettably, the change is not uniform. In Indian society there are so many people who follow the above policy religiously, and as a result, no dearth of teachers follow this policy.
Many teachers resort to corporal punishment while teaching. In many states corporal punishment is illegal, but the outlook cannot be changed by statutory legislation. A teacher should have a broad outlook and should fit like water in any environment. It is rightly said that when a teacher ceases to learn, one fails to be a teacher. Teaching is a process of learning and teachers should understand this. However, we should not forget that the teachers are the product of society, as we cannot raise teachers especially in a secluded environment. However, once one wants to be a teacher, one should change accordingly.
Teaching is a process that develops the brain of a child to know what is right and what is wrong. A teacher is a writer who is there to write on the clean slate of a child’s mind. Once the slate dries up, the writing cannot be omitted. So a teacher should write carefully on the slate of a child’s mind. The role of teachers in society is vital as they are there to produce quality human resources for the future development of a nation.
Very often, it is seen that teachers lose their control and resort to caning to those students who fail to answer some questions. In reality, they are to be blamed for the inability of a student to answer. When a student is said to be dull, it is the fault of the teacher, as he or she failed to develop the child properly. No doubt, all students cannot be the same but teachers should not show their partiality towards the brilliant students. Brilliant students pick up with amazing speed and much attention is not required to make them understand. Instead, special attention should be given to those students whom the teachers humiliate by calling dull, donkey, stupid, nonsense, etc. Humiliation only impairs the proper development of a child. And humiliation should not be a kind of punishment.
In India, students resorting to suicide is a common phenomenon. India will have to admit that there are some problems in our education system or the system of teaching. The behavior of teachers is vital and they should behave well with their students.
A question is raised in the minds of people about the necessity of corporal punishment. I think there is no need of any kind of punishment, either verbal or corporal. A dull student needs special attention and a special way of teaching. However, in our competitive society teachers fail to nurture them properly, as the teacher student ratio is not healthy. In India a teacher has to teach 50 students. In primary schools, there happen to be three teachers for five classes. This is really ridiculous. Administration should reduce the ratio so that a teacher can devote time to the dull students.
Teachers should consult the parents of the students and arrive to a conclusion. They should study the needs and problems of a dull student and deal with him or her accordingly. Caning is not a solution, but a means to further the problem for which a teacher resorts to caning.
A human being is not a guinea pig available for vigorous experiments. Education policy should be planned accordingly with vigorous deliberations. Courses should be prescribed according to the requirements of the time and not because a political establishment wants to further its programs of action. There should be independent bodies to prescribe courses.
Parents and teachers should meet regularly and parents should study the needs of their children. However, in Indian society this is not possible, as half of the students are first generation students. Their parents are unlettered and they cannot devote their time to their students, as they happen to earn their livelihood in an unorganized sector. In rural India, teachers are like god but sadly they don’t behave like gods. Very often in newspapers their demonic actions are reported and they sully the image of other teachers.
First of all, any Tom, Dick and Harry should not be a teacher. Teachers should be trained in recognized training institutions. Administration should pay them timely and adequately. There should be adequate numbers of schools and teachers. Then we can check the suicide of students and develop students properly.
Education should not suffer because of some errant teachers. The teacher’s performance should be evaluated carefully by independent bodies and strong action should be taken if teachers are found flouting norms of teaching. Teachers, first learn and don’t cease to learn then teachers can teach well. Society should remember educators for their fruitful contributions to the nation and not for becoming the cause of deaths of children and tears for families. Society cannot live without teachers, but teachers should not be a dictator or a fairytale demon reigning supreme. Education… Jai ho.
The End Corporal Punishment website is full of useful resources on the theme of corporal punishment.
History of the adage and its uses in other societies:
Se the sparath his gyrde [stick], he hatath his cild. [c 1000 Aelfric Homilies (1843) II. 324]
Salamon seide‥Qui parcit virge, odit filium. The Englich of this latyn is‥Who-so spareth the sprynge [switch], spilleth [ruins] his children.[1377 Langland Piers Plowman B. v. 41]
He that spareth the rod, the chyld doth hate. [1560 Nice Wanton A1V]
Spare the rod and spoyle the child. [1639 J. Clarke Parœmiologia Anglo-Latina 161]
‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’ had not been abolished from the educational code fifty-five years back. [1876 I. Banks Manchester Man II. vii.]
This action [caning] was justified, as everything he did was justified, by reference to Scripture—‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’. [1907 E. Gosse Father & Son ii.]
Source http://www.answers.com/topic/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child
====================================
Sudam Chandra Panigrahi resides in the state of Odisa, in the Eastern part of India. He is currently finishing a novel. You can read more about India on his blog, Pic Thrill or read his grammar tips on his blog, Share N Smile. You can also find him on Twitter as @sudam09.
It is so interesting to hear about how corporal punishment is still being used around the world. In the US, I feel we have gone to the other extreme (this is the case at our school). We are so afraid of damaging or hurting a child in any way that discipline of any sort has all but evaporated. The problem is that there are no longer clear boundaries, students don’t know what to expect from one environment to the next. As a result their behavior is very inconsistent and the students have complete run of the school. They know they can push the boundaries because there aren’t really any in place.
I have to agree with ktenkely, discipline at either end of the spectrum is inefficient. At the severe end children don’t learn and are hurt, damaged. They will grow up to continue the cycle of violence. But at the other end of the spectrum, overly lenient, the children are also hurt because they cannot find their boundaries. Some children keep pushing the boundary because they are in fact allowed to. I see such lack of not only respect for adults but even common decency at times.
Teachers cannot discipline alone. We need the administration to follow-up when we send a child out of class. We also need the parents to follow-up when a call home is made. I really appreciate the parents who start a conversation with me, “I heard my child’s side of what happened, now can you please tell me the truth.” These parents are not calling their children liars, but they are fully aware that an emotional young person will skew reality. It’s natural. I, as a teacher, should not be questioned when I send a student out of class. That is my last resort to ensure the other 29 students have a chance to continue learning.
Teachers need authority in their classrooms. Teachers, administration, and parents need to find the right balance of discipline that is neither too strict nor too lenient that will enable the child to learn from his or her mistakes while knowing for certain where the boundaries are.
Of course, some level of control is required be it administrative, parental or from teachers. But it is the severe form of beating and violence that is hated and condemned. My father was beaten by a teacher till my father’s swooning. I was beaten by a teacher from back to foot till the cane was serated by beating.
In my school when i was in class six, there was a teacher who would beat mercilessly by two oleander canes simultaneously. It was to facilitate his canning, the saplings were planted by the peon by the teacher’s order. Many students left school in my days for fear of being beaten black and white as if human beings were beasts.
Recently, i went to my son’s school. I was loitering in the veranda. I saw a boy of 13 years old (class
kneeling down in front of his class. I was about to bring out my camera and take a snap of the boy being punished. I had no knowledge about his fault but certainly i thought, kneeling down as inhuman. Humiliation very often strikes hard and students take extreme decision.
In Us parents resoponding to teacher’s call is very good but in India this is not quite possible. My son is studying in L KG. He would say, “Papa i would not go to school, as teacher would beat me.” I would ask why? But there was no answer.
I went to school and asked about the cause of his fear. The teacher was unable to answer me satisfactorily. I kept mum and cajoled my son to go to school.
After some months the same story. This time he wanted me to bring some coins of 5, 10, 25 paise denominations. It should be noted that these coins are not in circulation in India. But his book has the pictures of those coins and students are asked to identify them. I asked the teachers to write to the board and see the matter. what is the use of those coins when they are not in circulation?
His teacher had generated a fear in his mind to recognise those coins. Bah! India is great. Once i wrote to his teacher a long letter to discontinue the practice of homeworks and punishment either verbal or corporal. The teacher would write “We appreciate your concern but we need to finish the course.” She kept silence on the part of punishment. Lol
There are a lot of problems in India as far as study in rural and semi urban centres. One day i would publish that letter in my blog.
The solution lie in fruitful teacher and parents coordination and teachers dedication. Courses should be so prescribed to let students know something and not to ensure their failure. When a course is prepared teachers should be reoriented adequately. They should know the aim of such courses and always ensure that the backbenchers know the matter.
I am not a teacher but as i belong to a rural area i know who becomes a teacher in India and his demonic style of teaching.
I have seen many teachers but one teacher is in my ‘hall of fame’ who taught me for two years and introduced me to alphabets and fundamentals. My mother only know to sign her name. My father is a sixth class drop out. In this situation it was not possible for them to interact with my teachers for my future.
But i trudled and finally dropped out twice. First drop out was managed and i was brought to track and last was final. Lol The rest is history. Thanks
You are most correct, that form of discipline is completely wrong! I may have students disrespecting me and yelling obscenities at me but I would never hit them with a cane! Such things should not be happening in our world.
Good discussion about a complicated, nuanced topic.
Both teachers – and parents – are forbidden from physically punishing children. This state law has effectively ended corporeal punishment in the classrooms, and – along with laws mandating that children have a right to education until 16 – lead to an often chaotic, dysfunctional public school system. Principals, limited to the number of days they can suspend students, simply trade “problem at-risk” teenagers, around the school district. Standardized test scores have declined over the last twenty years almost across the board in California. Sometimes a few terrible students – let’s call them violent bullies – can negatively impact the educational environment. Good intentions sometimes contribute to negative results. Limiting the ability of teachers to punish students might fall into that broad category.
Yet the same humanitarian instinct to protect children has gone further. California also has a very strong law – on paper – that bans parents from physically punishing children. This situation has actually lead to widespread “lawlessness” by parents. Immigrant parents, in a bizarre twist, often are blackmailed by their children who promise to call social workers and the police if parents touch them. Children’s doctors report that the vast majority of parents still sometimes physically punish their children. The results, on the ground, are often quite different than intended. The same dynamics that play out in urban public schools occur at home – especially with weakened family bonds and the large number of single parent households in poor areas. Result: many children are essentially raised on their own and by their peers – often in urban gangs in Los Angeles.
Has banning physical punishment in schools and homes resulted in better classrooms, smarter students, and stronger families? Has the amount of violence been reduced? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
From my perspective as a former urban high school teacher in New York and Los Angeles, the record seems mixed.
Hello Sudam!
How sad it is to know that children are being physically or emotionally punished? If we want to live in peace and harmony, violence shouldn’t be a learning tool. It’s difficult to imagine such unfair practice in the school environment.
Dear Sir,
I am a PhD student, currently researching about History of corporal punishment in India. Can you please let me know if you are aware of resources for the same. I am glad that I found your article. Thanks.