Challenges in education; Corporal Punishment

Just how far can our teachers and administrators go in the disciplining of students in public schools. A recent study indicates that the use of corporal punishment is legal and can be used. The hickory stick. Is. Available to educate. It has been used in the past and it can be used in the future. It should not be ignored. It should be used monitored in degree and in a reasonable manner. This speaker is Dr. Thomas Vernon who has recently completed his degree at Duke and a moment he tells us about his study. Challenges in education presented by Duke University. Here with today's feature is Charles Bronson. Just what can be done when public school rules and regulations are broken. Apparently there are only about two measures that can be taken. Corporal punishment such as paddling and expulsion from school. In a recent paper presented to the

school conference at Duke University Dr. Thomas Vernon told about his research. I want to bring in to look into this and to research it. I was of the opinion that this business of paddling students was not a cape thing. Something that was a hangover from maybe the 19th century. And I remember that our history books show that the schools in the olden days were rather harsh and the discipline was the discipline of the hickory stick. Well I found a very interesting thing had taken place. We have 25 states within our United States which have laws which specifically. Mention corporal punishment. And only one of them make corporal punishment illegal. That is there are 24 states that specifically mention corporal punishment or justify the force the use of force or justify physical punishment 24 states that do this in one way or the other in

their laws. The one state that says Corporal punishment is illegal is New Jersey. It is interesting to note that many of these laws were recently enacted 12 of these 24 states have passed their laws since World War 2. In fact within the past 10 years nine states have passed laws which authorize corporal punishment specifically authorize corporal punishment. They are Virginia. California. North Carolina. South Dakota. Nevada. Oklahoma. Georgia Michigan and Ohio. Now one of the things that is interesting to me is that these are not rural states. And yet we find rural states very definitely in the in the group that have passed these laws so that if it covers the spectrum. Of the United States the other 25 states do not mention corporal punishment. And according to Dr Vernon since they have not said it was legal. They

have also not denied its authorization. This then gives the educator one other tool to control students and to manage the small minority of children who have a tendency to upset the learning process in our public schools. I simply mean that there is a use. For corporal punishment. There is a use it should not be ignored. It is also not the primary teaching method. However there seems to be a tendency both among our professional educators and among our civil population that the the punishment of a child is passe. And there are several alternate methods and several of them that are probably much more effective than corporal punishment. But when corporal punishment is necessary and when it is executed in a moderate in a reasonable manner. That. It has worked in the past. It can work in the future.

And as an effective. Teaching aid. It may not be too efficient. But it is available. Under circumstances when it is necessary and should not be ignored. This is Charles wrestle with challenges in education from Duke University. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.