Child beating

Photo: Wahid Adnan / driknews

Physical beating of children by caning, ear twisting and hard slapping, has been practiced, and is still being practiced in 'Maktabs' and primary and secondary schools in Bangladesh, as reported in most dailies over the last few weeks. One wonders if it is a good or logical practice in raising and teaching very young children the proverbial "3Rs"!
In all consideration, this practice needs to be stopped. However in contrast, we have the common age-old saying, which states: "Spare the rod and spoil the child!" Between the two extremes, of cruelty and indulgence, a reasonable mid way needs to be adopted, particularly in these days and age! We have to draw a line somewhere, which has to be a serious exercise for our child psychologists and teachers.
Similar practices used to be followed by priests and lay teachers in the Roman Catholic and other missionary schools. I had faced this first-hand, as a student in a Roman Catholic school in Calcutta during the World War days in 1940s. Slapping, caning and knuckle knocks on the head were the common disciplinary practice, right up to class eight level! Also kneeling down in front of the class, or in the corridor facing the class door were the more demeaning and hurting practices, worse than a few slaps or knuckle beats from the teachers!
I believe that these practices in missionary schools have not been reported in the various writings in the dailies on this matter! I wonder if it has now stopped, as I left school way back in 1948!
Given the easy ways of modern access (phone or e-mail), would it not be better to inform the truant students' parents or guardians, and if needed, call them up and discuss the matter in the presence of the student? This corrective step needs to be taken, in the larger interest of the school students' betterment and well-being. I believe, this would be a far more effective approach than any physical punishment handed out to students.