Licks still illegal in schools

THE EDITOR: Corporal punishment is supposed to be a thing of the past in this country’s education system but some teachers still think they can beat students in school. I wonder if these teachers are aware that corporal punishment is illegal and that if they do so they will be breaking the law?

Putting fear into their pupils by hitting them or threatening to beat them for misbehaving, for not doing their homework, for not understanding the school work or for reaching to school late is useless.

These scare tactics can have negative effects on students who would become too scared to ask these teachers for help for fear of being hit with a ruler or something else. As a result, their grades suffer and their academic performance declines to the point where they leave school without passing their SEA or CSEC Examinations.

There was a case, many years ago, where a little girl from a primary school in Diego Martin was beaten by a teacher with a stick for allegedly doing her work incorrectly. The incident was reported in the newspapers but only God knows if that teacher was ever held accountable for this act. At the end of the day, the Minister of Education is correct to say that it’s the responsibility of the Teaching Service Commission to discipline teachers for any offences they have committed while on duty. I hope the commission steps up to the plate and does what needs to be done to protect the nation’s students.

JEREMY HARRIS
, Diego Martin