Learning that there can be a negative outcome as a reult of one's actions is as crucial as love and nuture in a child's development. The departure from a physical measure to deter disruptive behaviour in the classroom seems to have manifested itself in the situation faced by teachers across the western world today. They find themselves unable to cope with unruly children who know that their teachers and supervisors' hands are tied when it comes to effectively sanctioning selfish, violent and ultimately disruptive behaviour.
I shall give you a personal example of when and where such a measure would be acceptable.
When I was in school my friends and I were caught firing marbles from a homemade catapult/slingshot at the groundskeeper's tractor. The groundskeeper yelled at us to stop, but my friends dared me to do it again once his back was turned. I did it again but this time hit and shattered the small windshield. I was taken by the groundskeeper to the headmaster who told me that as a result of my actions I would be caned. I knew instantly that I'd crossed a line and that I was going to be dealt with - I was going to be harmed by an adult that wasn't my parent. I began to cry profusely. I was forced to hold out my downturned hands, and I recieved six hard strokes of the cane. I was 10-years-old, and I still remember the pain to this day. I didn't dare risk damaging school property from that day after. True, I was caned a total of four times throughout my time in primary and secondary education, but they certainly sharpened my focus nonetheless (although two occasions were miscarriages of justice, I accept them as collateral damage incurred towards achieving a positive).
So, in light of what I've listed and recounted, what are your views and/or opinions on the reintroduction of corporal punishment to the classroom?
