A US school, which teaches children from the ages five to 15, will be paddling students as a form of corporal punishment.
Earlier this month, parents at the Georgia School of Innovation and the Classics were given consent forms outlining the new policy. About 100 forms were returned to the school, with one-third giving the green light.
The form stated that punishment will be given by a school administrator in a closed room with an adult witness present. The paddle must be made of wood and no more than three hits will be given.
For students of parents who consented the punishment, they will be given a three-strike policy – ie two warnings will be given before they get paddled.
“It’s about time... we are so glad this is happening again. They should have never taken it out of schools,” said the school’s superintendent Jody Boulineau.
“There was a time when corporal punishment was kind of the norm in school, and you didn’t have the problems that you have.”
He added that the punishment will not be used often and that “sometimes, it’s just kind of the threat…a deterrent in itself”.
Most of the parents rejected the policy. For these students, they will be subject to up to five days of suspension instead.
“At this school, we take discipline very seriously,” Boulineau told TV news station WRDW. “[Paddling is] just one more tool that we have in our disciplinary tool box.”
In Singapore, corporal punishment is legal in primary and secondary schools, but for male students only. It is illegal for female students. The Ministry of Education have put in place strict outlines for the punishment.
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