The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I must respond to the letter entitled "Physical Punishment is no Answer".

In my opinion, as a proud Bahamian, the writer is confusing corporal punishment with abuse.

He quoted the Buddha, but I will quote the Bible.

The God who created the earth and human beings knows what is best for us.

Proverbs 22:15 says: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Proverbs 29:15 says, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings his mother to shame."

These scriptures, along with many others highlight the importance of correction and discipline in the lives of children. Too many children are being left to themselves. They are mini-adults with no idea of what is right or wrong or what is safe or unsafe.

Anyone with eyes to see, who was alive if only for the past 40 years can see how the family structure of this nation has changed, and how the attitude and behaviour of the young people of this nation has changed.

As a person who works closely with teens in our school system, I can attest to the deterioration of the manners, morals and behaviour of school students over the years, due to parents becoming more liberal and lax. Some parents feel that because they have gone to university, they are "sophisticated" and above the traditions and values of our nation. Others harp on slavery and blame it for every problem in the world.

These trains of thought are erroneous and are the reason for the type of young persons we have today. We now have thousands of undisciplined, ill-mannered children who have now become parents and they are passing on this indiscipline and lack of manners and morals to their children.

It is true that some of the best contributors to our nation received corporal punishment and they themselves talk about how it helped to mould them into better people. However, one must point out that our parents of yesterday combined corporal punishment with time, instruction, chores, church (in most cases) and the willingness to allow any decent adult to also discipline their children.

This recipe, along with other things helped to produce a large number of decent, law-abiding citizens.

Many parents of today have a problem with any adult punishing their children. These parents should home school their children.

Children feed off of the nasty attitudes of their parents. School children who have parents with this mindset, come to school with a defiant and rebellious attitude because of what their parents say to them about teachers and administrators.

These are the same children who disrupt classes and schools and often cause fights and other problems. These are also the children who in most cases end up inviting their parents or guardians to court, prison or the graveyard.

Corporal punishment is needed in our schools.

It is the stitch that holds our schools together because the majority of students are not moved by a "talking to". The sight of a cane alone makes them understand that you are serious and therefore fall in line.

Outsiders can criticise, but teachers and administrators who are left with disrespectful, belligerent students for seven hours a day, must be able to use punishment lest we become like our neighbours across the sea. It is crucial to maintaining order in our schools. Those who criticise should be placed in the classroom for three days and experience being cursed out.. disrespected and in some cases assaulted. This is the behaviour of many students of today.

The problem is too many children have been left to themselves by their parents and allowed to run wild like weeds without any discipline or restraint. These are the children, for the most part who are sent to our schools. This is why our schools have so many problems. Schools need all options open to them because of what they are faced with daily.

Whether it be the belt, the cane or the switch from the tree, discipline is needed in the home so that when children go to school, they would already have a foundation of discipline from the home. This does not include breaking bones or beating children until they pass out. We cannot throw out the baby with the bath water.

Physical punishment alone is not the answer, but it is important.

Let's stop trying to be sophisticated and modern and foreign and let's be realistic, proud of our roots, culture and foundation. Let us continue to be who we have always been as Bahamians.

A PROUD BAHAMIAN

Nassau,

March 2, 2024.