A Vote Was Taken At An Independent School District And They Want To Reinstate Paddling For Misbehaving Students

There seems to be many subjects where we may not see eye to eye and if they come up in conversation, things can get heated very quickly. One of those conversations is on the subject of corporal punishment. Some people feel that it is perfectly fine if it is done in a loving manner but others feel that it is necessary to restrict the situation to keep injury from occurring to the youngster. In many areas, it is illegal for parents to spank their children but for school districts, it has been removed from the table altogether. Perhaps we can look back to our youth and remember when students were spanked at the front of the class or in the principal’s office.

In Texas, there is an independent school that wants to deal with misbehaving children by bringing back corporal punishment. The idea is to have the punishment as a “last resort” when the student does not listen to a teacher’s instructions and is not able to be disciplined otherwise. This type of behavior can be very disrupting for everyone in the class. Bullying is also a problem that is an issue in many schools. It may seem that bringing back the paddle is extreme, but many parents are now agreeing that it is a good idea. In Texas’ Three Rivers Independent school district, a survey went out to the parents to see if they were in agreement with this type of policy. The district decided to implement it but they wanted the parent to opt in, providing both verbal and written approval so the student could receive paddling from the school district.

If a parent becomes uncomfortable with what is taking place, they can always call to opt out of the program. It seems as if 27 other school districts are also considering bringing back the practice. According to the former Secretary of Education, John B King Junior, the practice should not be brought back. He wrote a letter explaining why the ban should stay and said that over one third of the students who are typically paddled are African-American.

Aside from the possibility of racial issues, corporal punishment is something that may be understood by many to be a shortcut of helping the child who is seriously guilty of misbehaving. It would be a last resort, so they would have to have the patience and hard work necessary to help the child in other ways first.

The following news report discusses the controversy behind it: