Once again, a case of corporal punishment has become news in the media even though this form of punishment has been banned by the government following a ruling of the High Court in January this year. This time, an administrative officer has beaten a student of an English medium school in the city. This form of punishment, which is a violation of human rights, is an impediment to achieving real education.
Last week, a Brookhollow Elementary mom reported that she was furious since her son had been spanked twice by the principal. She says the school did not have her consent to use corporal punishment on the fifth grader. In response, LISD’s Superintendent Roy Knight is not making any apologies.
By the time she spanks, it is the mom’s second misbehavior. The first is whatever she did or did not do to cause the child to “misbehave.” A 15-month-old or a 3-year-old may be curious, impatient, goading, erring, attention-seeking and cuddle-requiring.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed to this historic moment. On Wednesday, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed HB 172, a bill which will eliminate corporal punishment in public schools across the state.
Among the many acts of violence, great and small, that we commit regularly against each other and against animals, I wonder if we’ll ever dispense with one of the most common: hitting children.