THE STRAP IN SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 303, 18 December 1908, Page 3

THE STRAP IN SCHOOLS

At lac High Bcuooi brcaKhigup tcrotoon}', iir. 11. H. Ward, acting-pnuciiiai, 'referred ill his report to the goou ueiaviour of tlie pupils, and couiu (.'all to Bind only three occasions upon w/ncii the strap had been called into requisition. "As a personal matter, 1 ' lie said, Should like to see the strap abolished as I consider it a crude method of ia ducing either good work or good be iaviour. in a work entitled, \Uistakc in Teaching,'by a well-known luspecto in Canada, the following remain «£ pears: 'Aluch whipping, bad order; les iwhipping, good order; no whipping, bes order.' In many case* when the stra] is used, only the physical inferiority o. the child prevents a physical retaliation and in all cases it cannot fail to brutal ise, and create a feeling of antagonisn !which raises a barrier to moral auc mental improvement." , Mr. M. i'raser, chairman of the lioun of Governors, referred to these remarks in his address. He said he hao for many years held the opinion thai the strap 9hould not be used in this school. There was au enormous indignity in the infliction of such punish 'ment. He realised that if the Board were to abolish the strap an enormous responsibility would fall upon the pupils, but it would evidence a confidence in them, which he felt 6ure, would not be abused. The principal had spoken sincerely upon this matter, and spoken after experience of school work, and Mr iFraser hoped that the Board would take 3iis advice and place the school in the jiroud position of being perhaps the <only institution of the kind m tue Dominion where these indignities were .lot indulged in. It had been said that the children of this country were not so well behaved as those of older countries, but lie could say—and lie hail opportune tics for coming into contact with pupils of both primary and secondary schools —that he had never heard a rude word. The colonial children might be different jto others, but he thought children were alike all over the world. lie had had opportunities of visiting several schools in Great' Britain. It should be reiuein bcrcd that the pupils of this school wero not little children, but they were boys and girls 011 the verge of manhood and womanhood, who would, if the strap Were abolished, form themselves into a .'league of good behaviour, and tlio Board would never be sorry for the change. In his opinion the only thing that matters was conduct. If the. pu pils' conduct was good, they would grow up into good citizens.