Texas city revives paddling as it takes a swat at misbehavior

[RamboLiberal]

TEMPLE, TEX. -- In an era when students talk back to teachers, skip class and wear ever-more-risque clothing to school, one central Texas city has hit upon a deceptively simple solution: Bring back the paddle.

Most school districts across the country banned paddling of students long ago. Texas sat that trend out. Nearly a quarter of the estimated 225,000 students who received corporal punishment nationwide in 2006, the latest figures available, were from the Lone Star State.

But even by Texas standards, Temple is unusual. The city, a compact railroad hub of 60,000 people, banned the practice and then revived it at the demand of parents who longed for the orderly schools of yesteryear. Without paddling, "there were no consequences for kids," said Steve Wright, who runs a construction business and is Temple's school board president.

Since paddling was brought back to the city's 14 schools by a unanimous board vote in May, behavior at Temple's single high school has changed dramatically, Wright said, even though only one student in the school system has been paddled.

"The discipline problem is much better than it's been in years," Wright said, something he attributed to the new punishment and to other discipline programs schools are trying. Residents of the city's comfortable homes, most of which sport neighborly, worn chairs out front, praise the change.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505964.html?hpid=topnews



Texas - figures.

[rfranklin]

1. I was caned daily at a British style boys' school...

it never changed my attitude or behavior for a moment.

[abelenkpe]

4. Makes some even more defiant I'm sure. nt

[Cleita]

5. True!

I was spanked, which was accepted practice in my day, until my parents realized that it only made my behavior worse, like I was daring them to spank me again. They found out that withholding treats from me like a toy I wanted or a trip to the movies (we didn't have TV back then) was far more effective.

[abelenkpe]

2. Stupid

the kids at my son's Montessori school are orderly and well behaved without anyone resorting to paddling or even time outs. Really, it's not that difficult.

[Lance_Boyle]

7. The other kids there have parents who can afford to send them there instead of

I don't think a comparison of private to public school is useful at all.

[abelenkpe]

12. So you think

because it's a private school that kids are better behaved and therefore discipline in the form of beating is not needed?

That doesn't make sense. Kids are kids. ???

[Cleita]

3. Let's really revive child abuse and bring back the rubber hose

or the leather belt, like they did it in my day.

:eyes:

I don't know the answer to dealing with disruptive children, however, maybe increasing budgets for counseling and delving into the reasons why a child is disruptive might be the answer, however, that would require universal health care to make it a reasonable option.

[GodlessBiker]

6. -Talking out of turn...that's a paddling. Looking out the window...that's a paddling. Staring at ...

... my sandals...that's a paddling. Paddling the school canoe...ooh, you better believe that's a paddling.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Only one kid has been paddled??

That isn't enough to explain the improved school climate. But I don't believe hitting children improves their behavior anyway.

[Javaman]

9. Ahhh, yes the willful support of the closet sadists.

corporal punishment doesn't work. And the best part is, in a little while, we will start seeing reports of teachers "taking it a bit to far".

got to love my states board of education.

First they dumb down history to the point where it complete with the republican handbook and now they take us back to the light version of an eye for an eye.

fucking morons.

[hamsterjill]

10. This is sick!

I grew up in Texas schools and I'm old. Corporal punishment was always a threat.

But I can remember that on the first day of each new school year, my parents sent a letter to the school principal saying that they did not allow corporal punishment for their children, and that if there was ever any issue with one of their children who was attending that school, that they were to be called immediately.

Luckily, there never was a problem. My father had grown up in a family where his mother (my grandmother) beat her children routinely because she thought it was necessary to do that to instill discipline. Because of that treatment, he swore that none of his children would ever be spanked.

We think this world is evolving, and that mankind is finally figuring out some basic principles. Like the fact that violence begets more violence.

And then we see a step totally backward in time - like this in Temple, Texas. Good grief!

[truebrit71]

11. Touch my child? I break your face.

End of story.

[abelenkpe]

13. +1 nt

[LeftyMom]

14. Amen.

[Bill McBlueState]

15. I notice the article contains absolutely no data

Just a lot of hayseeds guessing about the cause and effect of corporal punishment.