Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Corporal punishment

The article “Corporal punishment — an ugly mess” (Open Page, April 6) has rightly pointed out that school children often incur the wrath of their tough and sadistic school teachers for not doing homework, for coming late, talking in classrooms, and other trivial reasons. Homework makes no difference to pupils in terms of their scholastic achievements. It increases the burden of students, dampens their interest for learning, and promotes no creativity. A teacher can bring down the noise levels in a classroom by winning the attention of his or her pupils. Only a poor teacher wields the cane, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Some pupils may come late to school for reasons beyond their control. Corporal punishment is barbaric and can have no place whatsoever in a civilised society.

G. David Milton,

Maruthancode

Children are the most precious assets of a nation. Unfortunately, they are unduly stressed both at home and school. Teachers have a clear role to play in moulding their future. The West Bengal government’s plan to conduct anger management classes for teachers is laudable. Teachers who resort to brutal punishment at the slightest provocation should be admonished. But it would be unfair to blame the gentle teachers, who alone can clear the ugly mess.

K.S. Thampi,

Chennai

It is unfair to blame the teaching community as a whole for inflicting corporal punishment on students. Only a few indulge in the practice and bring disgrace to all. While there is no place for corporal punishment in the educational system, it must be understood that teachers are also human beings who are vulnerable to sudden provocation due to stress in handling some of the errant students. Teachers can be asked to attend yoga and meditation classes so that they can learn how to deal with uncontrollable students whose number is bound to be very small in a school.

S. Nallasivan,

Tirunelveli

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