Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Teaching hard lessons

Malaysia has announced on Monday it is considering re-introducing the previously banned act of public caning in schools as a way of disciplining wayward students.

Malaysia's Education Ministry is to issue specific guidelines on how teachers should discipline students following an outcry over several recent cases that were condemned as student abuse.

Currently, school principals are allowed to cane trouble-making students but only in a private room with another teacher present as a witness.

Today, in most countries rather than punishing students for their bad behavior a reward system is being used as a tool to promote good behavior in the classroom. The classroom reward system was designed to be an effective tool that helps students to focus, get work done, and behave favorably.

In some cases, punishments such as canning are still neceassry as a deterent measure to reinforce the value of good conduct.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Malaysia seems to get one fact right; with any system by any method, capable or not capable there is one overriding reality and a mission; this generation of young people cannot be sacrificed for anything – they must be disciplined by all means necessary.

mhilmyh said...

shahuru

The punishment must fit the offence. Whether it is a verbal rebuke or public canning, it must be appropraite to the offence and it should be uniformely meted out without any exceptions. Discipline can then be maintained.