NORMAN WHITTAKER, M.P, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, says while modern thinking seems, in several quarters, to go against the use of corporal punishment as a means of administering discipline, there is yet a large number of people all over the world, including the author of this essay, for whom corporal punishment is an essential tenet of the Christian faith (spare the rod and spoil the child).
Let’s forget about the Christian faith for a moment and talk about assault by adults on children in schools.
When I was a child at age 14 in the 1960s my adult teacher hit me with a piece of wood across my back bursting my shirt and my skin. What crime did I commit for this adult man to hit me in such a brutal fashion?
This adult teacher the day before had asked my girlfriend to remain in class after school was over. I remained in class along with her since we went to school together and walked home together each and every school day.
This adult teacher told me he did not ask me to remain in class so I must leave to which I said we come and go together Sir. The teacher then said we should both leave to which we both got up and walked out of our class room.
The very next morning of school my adult teacher came from behind me while I sat at my desk and hit me across my back with a piece of wood. I cringed in pain and saw the stars and moon and sun all at once.
To this day at my age I still feel the pain of what this adult teacher did to me. First thing people will ask, what did you do for your teacher to hit you?
My adult teacher wanted to have an affair with my girlfriend and the crime I committed was staying in my classroom with her when my adult teacher asked her to stay after school was over.
My adult teacher was very comfortable with what he had done me and placed the piece of wood on his desk and was almost smiling when my school mates tried to help me out. Blood was pouring down my back from the burst skin.
I somehow found the strength and courage to face my adult teacher and grabbed the same piece of wood he lashed me with and I had my way with him.
I will tell you the truth that on that day all I wanted to do was kill my adult teacher and had he died I was ready, willing and able to go to jail or to the hangman’s noose to ensure my adult teacher will never do what he did to me or another kid.
My class mates held on to me saving my adult teacher’s life. I knew right there and then my days for school were over and it was.
I never went back to school ever in my life again all because of what an adult teacher had done to me. He really and truly wronged me.
Somehow the police was called and came to my home to arrest me but when they saw what my teacher did to me they wanted to charge him instead.
You bet the Christian faith did not call for what my adult teacher had done me. To this day you bet there are teachers such as my adult teacher who fondles young girls in classes and want affairs with them.
You ask any child once assaulted by any adult be it school or home or anywhere for that matter if they want to go back for more and they will tell you how afraid they are.
Mr. Whittaker, you brought back painful memories for me and I will bet many others as well.
In closing, this BS law or policy called Corporal Punishment in schools must be a thing of the past.
No matter what crime a child commits in school, let the law deal with it.
If the law cannot deal with these children then they must be expelled and done with it.
Learning starts from home with parents. Children will bring that to schools after as I did.
I did what my parents asked of me and did what all my teachers asked of me until that fateful day.
This day and age many adults have other problems in their lives with which many cannot cope, so the best way to take out their anger and frustration is on innocent children.
To this day I never hit another human being in my life because no human being ever gave me cause to do as my adult teacher had done.
Corporal punishment must be banned totally and completely.