Ban on caning will break down discipline in schools – Methodist Bishop warns
Ghana risks a total breakdown of discipline in schools and within the larger Ghanaian society, if the Ghana Education Service, GES, continues to relax caning, otherwise known as corporal punishment in schools.
That’s according to Rt. Rev. Samuel K. Osabutey, Diocesan Bishop of Accra, Methodist Church, Ghana.
The GES in a recent statement reiterated the ban on caning in primary and secondary schools, and ordered the schools to immediately adopt a new disciplinary toolkit together with alternative sanctions as measures for correcting pupils and students.
The GES statement, signed by the Deputy Director General, Anthony Boateng said, “This is in view of the Positive Discipline Toolkit containing positive and constructive alternatives to correcting children was developed in 2016 as a component of the Safe Schools Resource Pack.”
The tool indicated that “apart from the physical pain corporal punishment inflicts on children, this approach also causes significant emotional damage. Some of the lasting effects of this method of disciplining school children include physical scars, emotional scars (trauma, fear, timidity etc.) and violent behaviour.”
Steps to address inappropriate student behaviour as suggested by the toolkit include setting class rules with students, encouraging them to be of good behaviour, getting students to recite statements periodically to confirm their adherence to standards of behaviour set for the classroom.
They also include explaining to the child why a particular behaviour he or she has exhibited is unacceptable.
Recommended punishments for children as suggested by the toolkit include withdrawal of responsibility or removal from a leadership position, cleaning, changing of seating position, assignment of extra tasks and writing of lines, eg. A full book of “I will never talk in class again.”
But speaking to Citi News after an induction service for Mrs. Monica Ansaba Kumahor as the new Greater Accra Regional Manager of Methodist Schools at the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Lashibi, Rt. Rev. Samuel Osabutey said placing a total ban on caning will be counterproductive, and will have dire consequences on general discipline among students.
Change for the sake of change does not do anybody any good. I don’t think that in those days when the people were being caned, they were being abused; because there were rules and regulations within which people had to be caned; and the GES must be careful and not just give a blanket instruction. I don’t know what pertains now, but in an older document for teachers when teachers used to cane, there were specific rules on canning; the caning was commensurate to the offense.”
“…So if others are abusing the rules, it doesn’t mean we should remove canning. We’re not saying the canning will solve the problem; but if we also leave it entirely out, we’re weakening the hands of the teachers who are supposed to apply discipline. Discipline is not only about canning; I agree. But it is also one of the things that at least; puts some kind of fear of God, let me put it that way; in the life of students. Yes; I agree that some teachers can abuse it; and those teachers must be punished; so the GES should not say that there should be no canning at all” he argued.
“Now what other disciplinary measures are we supposed to take? All of us are looking for better ways of making sure that the child’s character is formed. I agree that canning is not the only means of discipline; but at the same time, whiles we’re reviewing that, we should find alternatives that will ensure that the teachers are empowered to exercise discipline, and I don’t see that” he noted.
Source: Citi
