Table of Contents
Introduction
This is an introduction to the subject. This is an opening to the topic being discussed.
The Ancient Greek and Roman periods spanned from 800 BC to 476 AD.
Sparta
Quintilian
Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Periods (500 – 1700)
Modern Era (1700 – present)
Corporal Punishment in Canadian Schools
American Schools: Corporal Punishment
In conclusion
This is an introduction.
Before 500 BC, corporal punishment was a common practice in schools. It is impossible to trace the origin of corporal punishment. However, early Greece has documented examples of corporal punishment in schools. These examples range from 800 BC to 600 BC. The debate has been ongoing about corporal punishment in educational settings since the time of Roman and Greek antiquity. This paper examines how corporal punishment has changed over the past 2500-3000 year. It focuses on Ancient Greece, Medieval Europe and Modern Canada.
Ancient Greek and Roman Eras (800 BC-476) The first reference to a school/classroom setting can be traced back to 500 BC. In the references, a building was depicted as being used for a classroom that collapsed in Chios, Greece. This resulted in the deaths of 119 students. The strict discipline and corporal punishment were a part of education during this era. The act of inflicting physical violence on someone to influence their behavior is known as corporal punishment. Even if the wrongdoings were not serious, punishment was very severe in this period of history. Not only were those punished for doing something wrong, but also those who didn’t complete tasks in a timely manner or who had poor posture. Corporal punishments could include, but weren’t limited to, beatings, whippings, public humiliation, or even death. Corporal punishment wasn’t viewed as punishment or harming children, but was instead a tool to strengthen them and prepare them for the future.
Sparta During the festival Artemis Orthia one of the most famous examples corporal punishment is “the whipping Contest”. Every young man’s education included the whipping competition at Artemis Orthia. The contest involves young boys being beaten almost to death trying to steal cheese from Artemis Orthia. The contest was intended to teach boys how to persevere, problem solve, learn from the mistakes of others, and to be able to adapt to change. These lessons were crucial for a boy’s future, particularly during his mandatory military training. While corporal punishment of this scale was common, most people accepted it. However, some notable people still protested the use corporal punishment for children in educational settings.
Quintilian School corporal punishment is not something new. As you can see, not everyone is comfortable with corporal punishment being used in education. Quintilian is one of the most prominent figures from that time who opposed corporal punishment in education. The passage below clearly demonstrates Quintilian’s opposition to corporal punishment as an educational aid.
I don’t agree with students being flogged. Flogging is a disgraceful act that is not appropriate for slaves. A second reason is that a boy who has an intractable disposition cannot be corrected with scolding will become just like the worst slaves.
Quintilian shared his conviction that learning should be celebrated and those who don’t want to study should not be punished physically. Instead, they should be able to observe other students learn and be awarded prizes. Although corporal punishment has been opposed by some, it was still common.
Late Middle Ages, Early Modern Period, 500 – 1700. Vincent of Beauvais, French Scholar, believed corporal punishment was necessary for education to succeed (disputed education). While there wasn’t a single reason for corporal punishment to be used in teaching, several were believed to have the following benefits: beatings could shape the mind and body, can help students learn from their mistakes, and teach obedience.
After 1690, John Locke published “Concerning Human Understanding”, which changed many people’s mindset. Locke believed that children were a blank slate and could learn from guidance, not punishment. He stated that children should not be disciplined.
You have made him fall in love and take pleasure in reading. It is evident that children must be educated early on, so that their minds are shaped and nourished. This will have a lasting impact on their lives.
There was little debate about whether children should be punished in school settings. The idea of physically punishing children was less popular over the next several hundred years as laws were made regarding corporal punishment.
Modern Era (1700-1999) Another campaign for eliminating corporal punishment in schools was to abolish capital punishment, also called the death penalty. In 1863 Venezuela was the first country that abolished capital punishment. Other countries soon followed. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made three years after World War II ended to ensure that everyone’s rights were protected. At this time, corporal punishment was beginning to decline in some parts of Canada as well as the United States. Even though this was resolved, it was still recommended that corporal punishment be restricted. Therefore, no restrictions or guidelines were imposed on its use.
Due to the increasing number of schools in America, corporal punishment became a topic of debate between 1890 and 1920. Teachers began to unionize in America and began to focus on teaching rather than behavioural issues. This changed in 1960s and 1950s. In order to prevent children from becoming rebellious and engaging in other delinquent activities, corporal punishment was again a main focus in schools.
In 2016, the United States of America and Australia continued to legalize corporal punishment in schools, despite it being considered a violation of individual human rights.
Canadian Schools: Corporal Punishment British Columbia was the country’s first province to change their education/school laws and prohibit corporal punishment. It did so in 1973. Ontario was the final province or territory to amend its education act to include the ban against corporal punishment. Manitoba, Alberta and other territories are not yet able to. Despite Manitoba and Alberta not recognising the ban, corporal punishment is still illegal in their provinces. This is because of a Canada-wide ban that prohibits corporal punishments from schools.
The 2004 law makes it illegal to use corporal punishment in schools. An educator cannot use force against students unless it is necessary to defend another person or self-defense.
Canadian schools are now prohibited from using corporal punishment. There is an effort to make child-directed corporal punishment illegal. According to Section 7, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that corporal punishment within Canadian schools is illegal. However, children are not subject to the same law as adults if they are subjected only to physical punishment.
American Schools: Corporal Punishment – Unlike Canadian schools. American public schools still allow corporal punishment. Each state allows corporal punishment, including for students in preschool. According to the Texas Education Code 2013, corporal punishment is defined as “Deliberate infliction or pain by hitting, paddling and spanking or using any other physical force as a discipline method”. Some counties in the 19 state have specific guidelines or recommendations about wooden paddle specifications. Pickens County in Alabama recommends that students be punished with a two-foot-long, three-inch-diameter, half-inch thick paddle. It is striking to see the similarities between antiquity’s punishments and modern-day American punishments. While corporal punishments are most commonly used for instances such as bullying, fighting or school trips, almost 40 per cent of corporal punishable acts, according to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), involve less serious actions such as inappropriate language and cellphone use, running around or laughing in public, not finishing homework, not following instructions, leaving class without permission, receiving a lower grade, or mispronouncing words. The NCBI presents data based on two studies by Survey USA and Julie Crandell from ABC News. These surveys revealed that 72 percent and 74% of respondents disagree with the idea of teachers being able to corporally punish their students.
In conclusion, today’s people are very different to those who were there 2500-3000 centuries ago. The world has changed its opinion on corporal punishment over the last few centuries. This is especially true for children in schools. Some people believe students should be corrected at both home and school. There has been much debate about corporal punishment in schools and classrooms since the antiquity of Roman and Greek times. The consensus on corporal punishment has changed over the years from being overwhelmingly positive to being divided and leaning towards abolition.
