SPARE THE ROD , SPOIL THE CHILD

MUCH IS SAID ABOUT CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS. LOOKING AT THE UNFORTUNATE RISE IN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN WHICH ARE MANY A TIMES A DIRECT  AND SOMETIMES EVEN INDIRECT RESULT OF CANING OR OTHER FORM OF PHYSICAL ABUSE IN SCHOOLS ONE CAN EASILY MAKE SWEEPING CONCLUSIONS SUCH AS ' CORPORAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE BANNED IN SCHOOLS' OR  ' CANING IS A CRIME '.AFTER ALL .WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT INNOCENT CHILDREN BEING BEATEN UP BY TEACHERS WE DO FEEL ENRAGED . NO WORDS CAN REALLY DESCRIBE THE PAIN AND ANGUISH THAT THE BEREAVED FAMILIES WHO LOSE THEIR CHILDREN TO SUCH GROSS NEGLIGENCE GO THROUGH .. BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS ... CAN WE REALLY PUT CORPORAL PUNISHMENT  UNDER  THE CATEGORY OF A CRIME ??   IT MAY SOUND HARSH  OR EVEN TO A LARGE EXTENT CRUEL AND CALLOUS BUT I PERSONALLY DO NOT FIND CORPORAL PUNISHMENT TO BE THAT BIG A SIN  AS MOST PEOPLE  MAKE IT OUT TO BE . I OF COURSE AM NOT JUSTIFYING UNREASONABLE AND INSENSITIVE PUNISHMENTS CARRIED OUT ON STUDENTS. WE ALL KNOW THAT FEAR IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DETERRENTS FOR WRONG DOERS AND THUS IT GOES A LONG WAY IN MAKING SURE THAT CHILDREN  BEHAVE THEMSELVES . IN A SCHOOL WHAT ONE BASICALLY LEARNS IS DISCIPLINE AND SO THE FACULTY OF A SCHOOL HAS TO BEAR THE ARDUOUS TASK OF DISCIPLINING THE CHILDREN. THUS SOMETIMES PUNISHMENT OF A HARSH AND STRONG MAGNITUDE IS NEEDED .CANING BY ITSELF IS NOT A BAD OR HUMILIATING THING. MY BROTHER  AND HIS FRIENDS USED TO BE CANED AT SCHOOL EARLIER  BUT THEY DID NOT COMMIT SUICIDE BECAUSE OF THAT . LETS FACE IT , MANY A TIMES STUDENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN DRIVEN TO SUICIDES WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN VERBALLY CHASTISED IN CLASS. SO CANING OR PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT ONLY  DO NOT CAUSE DEATHS OR VERY HARMFUL IMPACTS . HAVING STUDIED PSYCHOLOGY FOR TWO YEARS I CAN SAY THAT PUNISHMENTS ARE NECESSARY AND WARRANTED IN CERTAIN CASES . ACCORDING TO POPULAR NOTION  PSYCHOLOGISTS OFTEN SAY THAT CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE METED OUT WITH HARSH PUNISHMENTS , BUT ACTUALLY IN REALITY THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY ADVOCATE . THERE ARE CERTAIN CONDITIONS OR PRE-REQUISITES WHICH ARE NEEDED  FOR  PUNISHMENTS TO BE EFFECTIVE  AND TO  HAVE A DETERRING EFFECT ON PEOPLE . IT IS UP TO THE  TEACHER TO UNDERSTAND WHICH SITUATION REQUIRES WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENT AND WHEN AND HOW A PUNISHMENT IS TO BE ADMINISTERED. THE RIGHT KIND OF PUNISHMENT WHEN CARRIED OUT PROPERLY CAN HAVE TREMENDOUS POSITIVE IMPACTS .  TEACHERS NEED TO BE SENSITIVE TOWARDS CERTAIN THINGS . THIS REMINDS OF A CERTAIN POEM I READ IN CLASS 8 CALLED " ON KILLING A TREE " WHICH CONTAINED AN INNER  MESSAGE AS TO HOW ONE CAN ACTUALLY DESTROY A PERSON. IN SAID THAT TO COMPLETELY DESTROY A PERSON YOU HAVE TO STRIKE A BLOW AT THAT PERSON'S SELF CONFIDENCE AND SELF - ESTEEM. PUNISHMENTS  SHOULD NEVER EVER LOWER  A PERSON'S SELF CONFIDENCE . DEGRADING OR DEROGATORY PUNISHMENTS RING THE DEATH KNELL FOR ONE'S PERSONALITY AND CAN LEAD A STUDENT TO SUICIDE OR TO EVEN  SELF - DESTROYING  ACTS .,WHILE PUNISHING A STUDENT A TEACHER MUST MAKE SURE THAT SHE/HE DOES NOT  CAUSE A DENT AT  HER/HIS SELF CONFIDENCE . A PUPIL CAN  BE TRAUMATIZED EVEN BY A CALLOUS UTTERLY HUMILIATING REMARK BY A TEACHER WHICH IS NOT WARRANTED OR JUSTIFIED AND  NOT ONLY BY BEING SUBJECTED TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. A STUDENT CAN BE DRIVEN TO KILLING HIMSELF EVEN AFTER GETTING A VERBAL CANING  AS MUCH AS SHE/HE CAN AFTER GETTING A PHYSICAL ONE . SO MY POINT IS THAT A TEACHER WHILE TRYING TO REFORM  A STUDENT  MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION CERTAIN FACTORS LIKE WHEN A STUDENT IS TO BE PUNISHED , HOW IS SHE/HE TO BE PUNISHED AND WHAT EXACTLY IS TO BE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PUNISHMENT. IF EVERYTHING IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION JUSTLY AND FAIRLY PUNISHMENTS CAN ACTUALLY REFORM A STUDENT. IF HOWEVER THESE THINGS ARE NOT BORNE IN MIND , PUNISHMENTS CAN MAKE A CHILD VERY FRUSTRATED AND DEPRESSED. IDEALLY PUNISHMENTS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER A WRONG HAS BEEN DONE AND THE MESSAGE THAT THE PUNISHMENT IS MEANT FOR THE STUDENT'S BENEFIT  MUST BE CONVEYED SOMEHOW . AFTER ALL PUNISHMENTS ARE MEANT TO REFORM AND NOT TO HUMILIATE OR SETTLE PERSONAL GRUDGES WHICH SOMETIMES WE DO SEE HAPPENING .

    THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION FOR UNREASONABLE  HARSHNESS  OR OTHER INJUSTICES  BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE CAN ALSO SAY THAT  "SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD" . A RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN STRICTNESS AND LENIENCY NEEDS TO BE STRUCK BY THE TEACHERS AND EVEN GUARDIANS WHILE THEY ARE DISCIPLINING AND MOULDING YOUNG MINDS. THE RIGHT BALANCE CAN MAKE A  CHILD OR A STUDENT BLOSSOM INTO A HEALTHY INDIVIDUAL. THE WRONG APPROACH CAN SADLY MAKE HER/HIM  LOSE INTEREST IN LIFE ITSELF.