In the past couple of years I have enjoyed interacting with over 5,000 teachers who have attended our professional development programmes (Neogenics Education) in Ghana.<\/p>\n
Our motherland is indeed endowed with people who have a desire to see transformation in our Education but there are a few who care little about the educational outcomes of children.<\/p>\n
Most of the teachers I have come across have refused to evolve and are stacked in old practices, denying children the opportunity to experience the emerging new world with immense possibilities and innovations.<\/p>\n
Hence such teachers have become human barriers to the full potential of children. Their perspectives are restrictive, hindering the developmental process of learners.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t solve tomorrow\u2019s problems with yesterday\u2019s tools, practices and techniques\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n One of these practices I want to focus on is the use of the \u201cCANE\u201d or in other words \u201cCorporal Punishment\u201d.<\/p>\n According to Wikipedia, \u201ccorporal punishment<\/em> refers to causing deliberate pain or discomfort in response to undesired behaviour by students in schools. It often involves striking the student either across the buttocks or on the hands, with an implement such as a rattan cane, wooden paddle, slipper, leather strap or wooden yardstick. Less commonly, it could also include spanking or smacking the student with the open hand, especially at the elementary school level.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n I recall on one of our Professional Development training sessions I was frowned at by a section of my audience when I said that the use of the cane in our schools was \u201cbarbaric\u201d and should therefore not be encouraged.<\/p>\n The very spiritual ones muscled out the popular biblical quote \u201cspare the rod and spoil the child.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid it state the size of the rod or the frequency of the use of the rod?\u201d I responded. Biblical metaphor twisted to the advantage of the adult.<\/p>\n Questions run through my mind when I see teachers holding canes and patrolling around their school;<\/p>\n In state-run schools in the United Kingdom, corporal punishment was outlawed by the British Parliament in 1986. In other private schools, it was banned in 1998 (England and Wales), 2000 (Scotland) and 2003 (Northern Ireland).<\/p>\n In 2011 one of the UK teachers’ union said evidence suggested behaviour has improved since corporal punishment was banned.<\/p>\n Pursuant to the Education Act 1961, the Ghana Education Code of Discipline for second cycle school provides for caning up to six strokes by a head teacher or person authorised by the head.<\/p>\n Article 13(2) of the Children\u2019s Act 1998 allows \u201creasonable\u201d and \u201cjustifiable\u201d corrections. How much caning is reasonable or justifiable?<\/p>\n I still remember vividly when I was in Primary three and had to receive 10 lashes on my back. It happened to be one of those hot afternoons in Tamale when my teacher turned up after lunch break completely drunk. The boys in the class were asked to individually sing a love song in Twi to any girl they admired. All those who defied this order including me received 10 strokes of caning on our backs. Learning was on hold for the next two hours. Where is the justification in this case?<\/p>\n A mother of a student with autism reported that her son’s behaviour changed after he was struck in his Florida school: in a comment she said, “He’s an avoider by nature, before he was never aggressive. Now, he struggles with anger; right after the incidents he’d have anger explosions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Violence is the last resort of the incompetent! <\/strong><\/p>\n In Ghana, ministerial directives advise against the use of corporal punishment in schools but prohibition has not been enshrined in law. There is the need for a conscious effort and parliamentary enactments to repeal this practice in our schools.<\/p>\n So why do some continue to cane?<\/p>\n 1.Control Freak:\u00a0<\/strong>Some argue that the presence of a form of Corporal punishment can help instil order and control in a school community. Even if the cane is never used but sthe fact that it is an available option can be used as a deterrent for undesirable behaviours.<\/p>\n 2. Symbol of Authority: <\/strong>For some teachers, holding the cane gives them artificial gratification. It is an emblem of their authority. It shows how powerful they are before the children.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t think of more than two reasons for caning except the above. On the contrary there are numerous reason why corporal punishment should be abolished.<\/p>\n 1.Violence brings forth violence<\/strong><\/p>\n Children learn from adults. They pick up habits and even mannerisms from grownups. If you hit a child no matter the setting you are teaching the child that physical punishment is acceptable when someone makes you angry. Violence begets violence if you raise a child in a violent environment where physical punishment is used it makes a child angry and violent.<\/p>\n 2. Intimidation Tactic<\/strong><\/p>\n Corporal punishment denials the child any right and shows that the adults are capable of forcing the child to behave in the way that the school wants whether the child likes it or not.<\/p>\n 3.Power in the wrong hands<\/strong><\/p>\n There are some incompetent teachers who take discipline to a whole new level of abuse. They easily get power drunk and soon begin to abuse the children.<\/p>\n 4. Just not Ineffective \u2013 No evidence to support improvement in behaviour of children<\/strong><\/p>\n 5. Different ages and Different Pleasure responses<\/strong><\/p>\n Younger children tend to have the pleasure\/pain response still very much intact. As children grow physical punishment is not very likely to benefit them.<\/p>\n 6. Teachers\u2019 discretion<\/strong><\/p>\n It is very much a subjective punishment. Even where there is a school policy it still left to the discretion of the teacher.<\/p>\n 7. Teschers\u2019 favourites never get caned<\/strong><\/p>\n Those who are in the good books of the teacher are usually exempted as the teachers\u2019 pets.<\/p>\n Corporal Punishment from my perspective is an archaic practice that has no real value other than making the teacher and schools more powerful.<\/p>\n The marks the cane leaves on the body could disappear in days but the psychological consequence will linger invisibly around the child for years.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: \u00a0Grant Bulmuo<\/p>\n Lead Consultant, Neogenics Education<\/p>\n Teaching Coach\u00a0 \u01c0\u00a0 Learning Engineer\u00a0 \u01c0\u00a0 Education Consultant\u00a0\u00a0 \u01c0\u00a0 Learner Behaviour Analyst \u01c0 \u00a0Students Progress Strategist \u00a0\u01c0 School Transformation Architect\u00a0\u00a0 \u01c0 Teacher Performance Impact Driver<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the past couple of years I have enjoyed interacting with over 5,000 teachers who have attended our professional development programmes (Neogenics Education) in Ghana. Our motherland is indeed endowed with people who have a desire to see transformation in our Education but there are a few who care little about the educational outcomes of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":205045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[374],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
According to the Human Rights Watch website, harsh physical punishments do not improve students’ in-school behavior or academic performance.\u00a0 In fact, a US study found that in states where corporal punishment is frequently used, schools have performed worse academically than those in states that prohibit corporal punishment.<\/strong><\/h3>\n