Paddling unruly behavior
Laurel may join other schools in
corporal punishment
July 15, 2006
By Nathan Martin, LL-C Correspondent
If Laurel School District Superintendent Dr. Glenn Magee gets his
way, serial misbehaving students in Laurel pre-kindergarten through
middle school may feel the disciplining bite of an old tool.
Due to a
rise of undisciplined behavior in classrooms, corporal punishment
may see a rebirth in the Laurel school district, pending the
approval of the school board.
“We are
considering implementing corporal punishment,” said Magee.
“Discipline is an issue, and we’ve seen the rise of a sort of
behaviors that cannot be encouraged and must be dealt with. Corporal
punishment would be used in conjunction with all other discipline
measures, and it would only be used as a last resort.”
Magee
explained that the school district currently utilizes corporal
punishment in the alternative branch of the Laurel School District,
and that if the proposal were adopted, the policy dealing with
corporal punishment would largely mirror the one in place at the
alternative schools. That policy contains a series of qualifications
which must be met before a child may be disciplined corporally.
“Corporal
punishment shall be administered only after less stringent measures
such as two or more warnings, counseling, parental conferences and
other forms have failed to produce the desired results,” reads the
policy. “Corporal punishment will be administered by use of a paddle
applied to the buttocks in a controlled manner, within the bounds of
moderation. Normally no more than three licks with the paddle will
be administered at any one time.”
Though this
policy may raise some concern, it is not an uncommon one in Jones
County, as county schools and some private schools utilize the tool
in all grades of schooling.
“We utilize
corporal punishment as a last resort,” said Jones County School
Superintendent Thomas Prine. “We try all other methods first, to get
children to modify their behavior. This is not something we use on a
child regularly, but it can be used in grades K-12.”
Laurel
Christian School also uses corporal punishment as a means of
discipline, but with a slightly different justification than county
or city schools.
“We use it
because it is a biblical admonition,” said Headmaster Rick Bartley.
“That being said, we do not have to use it often. It is a last
resort, and when we do use it, it is with parental consent, and in
the presence of witnesses.”
As other
schools continue to utilize this ancient tool in behavioral
modification, Magee and other members of the Laurel School District
are taking the steps to implement this in city schools.
“We are
currently submitting a draft of our proposal to the board,” said
Magee. “I do want to emphasize, though, that if this is implemented,
it will be a last resort. We still believe that discipline at home
is the most effective, but there is some behavior that is not
addressed at home, and hopefully we can correct that.”
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