Monday, June 12, 2006

Thoughts on Corporal Punishment—A 2nd Year’s Perspective

There are basically two groups of people when it comes to punishment in education. While there is some room for a gray area, people tend to be either totally for or totally against corporal punishment. Many northerners enter MTC and are shocked that it still exists in Mississippi. For my readers who don’t know, there is a basic rule of thumb for corporal punishment in critical-needs Mississippi—1) corporal punishment is against the rules in Jackson Public Schools, and 2) corporal punishment is alive and well in the Delta.
When I entered the program, I was in the group of people who opposed corporal punishment. I didn’t feel that we as teachers could justify hitting a child and then try to tell him/her not to hit others. I believed that corporal punishment only perpetuated the violence in our classrooms that we complained about. A year later, I am still against corporal punishment, but in a different way. I hate its existence, but also the way it is typically administered. Example—Theory: the law says that the school official is not supposed to give corporal punishment in a fit of anger. Reality: One of the last days of school at Simmons, the principal was angry and lashed out at students and teachers over the intercom. At the end of his yelling, he said, “Whoever has x, y, and z students in their class, send them to the office! I’m gone tear they butt up!” He really did mean what he was saying. Not to criticize the principal personally, but is this really what we want in our schools? This may be an extreme example, but I think it highlights a valid point.
Even if we look outside the way corporal punishment is administered, I still think it is wrong. I understand that because of culture in the communities and traditional practice of corporal punishment in Mississippi schools, there is no overnight fix. Right now, students and parents expect it. I think, however, that we can and should phase it out over the next year or two.