Sir Frank Peters :
The United States of America is on the brink of becoming civilised and many would agree not a day too soon.
It’s wicked history of violence, cruelty and abuse to children is well documented and appalled by the enlightened, educated members of American society and civilised people worldwide.
All that is about to change… maybe. American school headmasters and teachers across the nation woke up this week to a request from John B. King Jr. the Secretary of Education that, if fulfilled, could change America for the better for eternity.
The noble Secretary is appealing to his fellow Americans in the education system to abolish corporal punishment, for the good of the children and the greater benefit of America.
In King’s letter (a royal decree of sorts) that went to all educators, he wrote:
“As Governors and Chief State School Officers, you know that public schools are crucial places for nurturing the unique gifts of all children and developing the knowledge and skills they need to grow and thrive in our democracy.
“To fulfill this mission of promoting the positive development of our youth, a school must first ensure that no harm occurs to the children and young people entrusted into its care.
It is for this reason that I write to you, to call your attention to a practice in some schools – the use of corporal punishment – which is harmful, ineffective, and often disproportionately applied to students of color and students with disabilities, and which states have the power to change.
“If you have not already, I urge you to eliminate this practice from your schools, and instead promote supportive, effective disciplinary measures,” he wrote.
Mr. King went on to say that corporal punishment could hinder the creation of a positive school climate by focusing on punitive measures to address student misbehaviour rather than positive behavioral interventions and supports.
“Corporal punishment also teaches students that physical force is an acceptable means of solving problems, undermining efforts to promote nonviolent techniques for conflict resolution,” he wrote.
He also pointed out the hypocrisy prevalent in 22 USA states. “The very acts of corporal punishment that are permissible when applied to children in schools under some state laws would be prohibited as criminal assault or battery when applied to adults in the community in those very same states,” he informed.
In his factual, hard-hitting, ‘wake-up America’ letter to educators in the 22 states that still permit corporal punishment to children, he went on to say:
“The use of corporal punishment is ineffective as a strategy to address inappropriate behaviour and corporal punishment often has antithetical results: physical punishment may make a child more aggressive, defiant, and oppositional. Moreover, it can be detrimental to a child’s health and wellbeing and may have lifelong repercussions.”
Worldwide research shows that children who experience physical punishment are more likely to develop mental health issues, including alcohol and drug abuse or dependence, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and other personality disorders.
The excessive use of corporal punishment has been shown to be associated with antisocial behavior in children in their teens and adulthood.
In 2011 when Justices Md. Imman Ali and Sheikh Hassan Arif outlawed the barbaric practice of corporal punishment in Bangladesh schools and madrasahs, they declared it “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a clear violation of a child’s fundamental right to life, liberty and freedom”.
While some may argue that corporal punishment is a tradition in some school and home communities, past practice alone cannot be a sufficient rationalization for continuing to engage in actions that have been proven to have short and long-term detrimental effects.
Indeed, there are many practices which were previously legal, but which we would not tolerate today, slavery to cite one. There is a massive growing consensus that we simply cannot condone government-sanctioned violence against children in schools.
The noble Secretary concludes his insightful, patriotic letter by declaring that corporal punishment has no place in the public schools of a modern nation that plays such an essential role in the advancement and protection of civil and human rights. The King has spoken for the benefit of humanity at large, long live the King
John B. King Jr. is the Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, humanitarian, royal goodwill ambassador and a human rights activist
