Picture yourself in a classroom. Desks are polished and in straight rows. The teacher has eyes to which his smile never quite reaches and a voice like the edge of a knife. And the children...the children are sitting impossibly straight, petrified; living in fear. A boy gets a question wrong in maths. Trembling, shaking, knowing what is coming, he is frogmarched to the teacher’s desk and whipped cruelly with a leather strap, until welts form on his skin. Disbelief shrouds your mind. Is this really the best way to discipline children? Surely there must be a better way!
It is my firm belief that corporal punishment in schools should be banned. Although it has been abolished in most state schools in 1998, corporal punishment is still legal in some countries. I am writing to persuade you that corporal punishment is wrong, and should be completely abolished. Below are some reasons why.
My first reason is that children working in schools with corporal punishment work in fear of getting the strap. In a study carried out by experts from the University of New South Wales, it is proven that children’s cannot learn properly when they are immersed in a dangerous and uncomfortable position. Surely you agree that all children deserve to work and play in a happy, fun and safe environment. They should not have to live in fear of being beaten. Abolishing corporal punishment would ensure that children learn the maximum amount possible, while having fun and feeling comfortable at school.
My second reason is that corporal punishment is cruel and inhumane. The Oxford dictionary definition of corporal punishment is: noun- physical punishment of people, especially by hitting or beating. Even the dictionary definition makes it sound menacing, and the actual carrying out of corporal punishment is just that. Research has shown that children living with corporal punishment have an increased risk of decreased physical and mental health. Bruised and battered bodies cannot perform to their peak; whipping and beating could lead to depression.
My final reason is that there are more ways to control the behaviour of children than physical punishment. Researchers Alistar Lamont and Prue Holzer found, in a report from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, that there was limited evidence that there were any positive outcomes associated with corporal punishment. Says Professor Holzer: “I do not see why corporal punishment is still being used; there are more preferable and more effective techniques for disciplining children.”
Preferable techniques to discipline children include the following: Community Service, or extra chores of some kind- as well as helping others, it is a milder version of physical punishment. Also, writing letters of apology, writing lines, and copying from the dictionary are all a significant and effective punishment. As well as that, leading education expert, Professor Ramon Lewis, suggested that teachers should simply remind children that they do not have the right to interfere with another child’s learning. “This has proved to be more successful than the strap” he says. It might be argued that, in a case severe enough, the strap should be used as a last resort. However, most of the techniques above, owing to the amount of time and effort, can be adjusted to a severe case. Overall, corporal punishment is unneccessary and violent; there are many more effective ways to discipline children.
In conclusion, corporal punishment is unnacceptable because it deprives children of the safe and fun school environment they deserve; whipping and beating is violent and has many ill effects on the health of children; and finally, there are more preferable ways to control the behaviour of children. I believe that corporal punishment should be abolished in all schools in all countries, and after reading this, I hope that you will agree with my opinion.
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