Students distressed by public canings just days before exams
Some primary school students were left traumatised after two public canings were carried out at their school, just a few days before the exams.
Parents of distraught kids wondered if the punishment was really necessary and appropriate, reported Wanbao.
Within five days before the start of exams, two primary 5 boys were caned in front of the whole school.
According to a parent, Mrs Liang, 40, her daughter who is a student at the school in Sembawang had told her about how the students were caned on stage.
Both were made to placed their hands on a table as they were caned on their behinds by the discipline master. One student was caned on Oct 2, while the other was caned on Oct 6.
“My daughter was very scared and cried when she told us about the incident. She said she didn’t dare to go to school.” said Mrs Liang, who used to teach as well. “She also described how some girls even cried during the caning.”
Mrs Liang said she was worried that the incident could have an effect on the students’ emotional and mental state, and consequently affect their results.
She felt the punishment meted out was too harsh and that the school authorities should have considered other measures such as counselling instead. The caning could also have been carried out in private, instead of publicly, said Mrs Liang.
When contacted by Wanbao reporters on the issue, the principal stated that the school takes a very strong stance on maintaining good discipline and instilling students with the right values, but maintained that it also adheres strictly to the education ministry’s guidelines. Corporal punishment is used only as a last resort, said the principal.
The students who were caned had undergone counselling, and were told why the punishment was necessary. The principal told reporters that teachers would do their part in reiterating the school’s position to students and also reassure them.
Guidelines on caning students
According to another primary school principal interviewed by Wanbao, the Ministry of Education has strict regulations on disciplinary measures that can be taken.
For example, only boys are allowed to be caned and they cannot be caned more than six times. It must also not be done ‘in the heat of the moment’, and at least one other teacher must be present when the punishment is carried out.
Parents will be notified after the caning and counselling provided if necessary, said the principal. He also stated that caning is usually only decided upon as a ‘last resort’.
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IS PUBLIC CANING JUSTIFIED?
It is time the parents the caned child take a strong stand and investigate the school. There is no justification for public caning before an examination.
It is to be expected that a school principal will always craft his response to public query by seeking refuge in the Ministry of Education’s “strict regulations on displinary matter” and its “guidelines” to justify corporal punishment. Does one seriously believe that the presence of another teacher as “witness” will mitigate for what is essentially a brutal act perpetrated upon a child?
The caning is not to be executed “in the heat ofthe moment”? If this is so why can’t the act be done after the exams. And if executed, why increase the trauma by public humiliation? There seems to be a misconception that crushingthe dignity of a child by public humiliation will make him conducive to learning or to behave correctly. I think this is naive thinking. A child raised in an intellectually sterile environment (in the home) is not conditioned with a desire to learning . He will never find interest even in reading. So will a child who whose mental makeup is such that it would not predispose him to intellectual curiosity. Public caning, purportedly to correct a child’s misbehaviour, is in reality a cruel attempt to force submission on his part to the will of the teachers.
I am curious : why should parents be notified only after the act of caning? If the intention is to correct the child, the parents should be interviewed first to investigate home conditions that would explain the child’s behaviour, which admittedly could be irritating to an impatient teacher who happens to lack the compassion to see through the child’s rehabilitation by the process of counselling. My suspicion about the school’s contention of having “counselled” the child is grossly exaggerated if not misplaced. It is a red herring to throw off criticism. Counselling a child requires time of observation and allowing the cues of reinforcements for good and acceptable conduct to be imbued. If the issue is “counselling” for good results and with a sincere attempt to rehabilitate the child, it is important that the parents should be involved in the counselling process. In fact, parents should be counselled and be made aware of the reckless behaviour of their child before resorting to public caning. For often, a boy’s behaviour is mere exuberance or boyish mischief. Let us accept the adage that “boys will be boys”. It is terribly inhuman to attempt their emasculation by forcing them to submit willy nilly to the discipline master just because they “got out of hand”.
I am for disciplining a child. Surely there are better ways than resorting to caning – or worst, PUBLIC CANING.
If I were the child’s parent I will engage a firm of solicitors to write to the school principal putting the school to notice of this cruel act. This will ensure that the school ‘s discipline master does not resort to the cane and abuse the child under some cleverly worded public relations statement of being supported by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education guidelines does not give moral or legal justification for inflicting physical punishment on a child of tender age.
Why are the girls crying if they aren’t even the objects of caning?I thought this article was about the trauma of those who got caned,NOT those who had to watch it happen!