22 primary school pupils slapped for failing to turn in their homework - quote.
How to discipline students?
During my days in school in the 60s and 70s discipline is taken very seriously. With 40-45 students in a class to teach with some parents expecting our teachers also to be held responsible for our discipline, it is no laughing matter.Let me share with you some methods the teachers and headmistress used during our time.
When they talk too much, give them a slap or stuffed chalk (used during the early days) into their mouth. If they still continue their unacceptable behavior, grab their ears and rattle their heads until “screw loose”. When they don’t do homework, send the book flying out the door. When you can’t decipher their writing or exercises smeared with ink, use a wooden ruler and knocked on their knuckles until swollen. When they can’t sit still or go about disturbing others, cane their legs or their buttocks. When they forget to bring their books, write out 1000 times “I must not forget to bring my book”. When they are late for school, shut them out. When they don’t pay their school fees, “Don’t come to school”. When they come in with unkempt hair, cut off their “crowning glory”. When they forget to bring their PE attire, make them run round the field in their uniform.
I once attended a canteen open for parents in my son’s school. I was shocked to see the behavior of some students. They go about in groups of 3 to 4. They walked through the classes and started kicking the tables and chairs for no obvious reasons except to be NOTICED. And that is in full view of parents. What more can the teachers do? No wonder they have to call in the police to help solve indiscipline.
Have you been a victim of unfair discipline or are you the teacher who melts out discipline. Share with us your experience.
7 responses so far ↓
alice // July 21, 2007 at 3:45 pm
In my secondary schooldays in an all girls’s school, students were made to stand in the corridor if they forgot to bring their textbooks. BTW, I’ve done your tag/tags.
Judy // July 22, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Eh, I was also slapped on the face by my teacher in Standard 3 because I was dreaming and didn’t catch the ball on time. My dad went to speak to her. Anyway, she nearly lost her job when she slapped the Sultan of Selangor’s daughter who was in the same class as me. Hehehehe. My mum who was then the headmistress pleaded on her behalf.
Then when I was in secondary school, my two friends who were very close to me, made some funny actions while doing folk dancing, and the teacher told me out instead (she doesn’t like my mum because her daughter didn’t get into Convent) and asked me to run around the field 3 times. Instead, I ignored her punishment and went upstairs back to my classroom to hide. Then during recess, my sister saw me crying and told my mum when she got home. When my dad found out, he went to school the next day to see the secondary headmistress (Mrs Ng) and wanted to see Mrs Lim who punished me but Mrs Lim was too afraid to see my dad. Since that day, she never dared pick on me again! :))
Yee, Julie // July 23, 2007 at 4:29 am
Alice, Yes, it happened to my class friends too. I was made to stand on those small wooden 4-legged chair in Std.2 because my shoes were dirty. I hate that. I looked so much taller hahaha.
Judy, I knew the Sultan’s daughter was in our school, just dont know which class. Now I finally got the answer. So if discipline is left to teachers who have vendetta to pick, finish lah all the students.
coaks // July 24, 2007 at 11:10 pm
yeah, lets slap kids in the classroom, sounds like a great idea. I am telling you, it all starts from the parents, or lack-there-of.
http://www.coaks.wordpress.com
Yee, Julie // July 26, 2007 at 12:02 am
Coaks, thanks for sharing your input.
tunkuhalim // August 3, 2007 at 6:32 am
It sounds pretty tough back then. There’s probably not enough discipline nowadays. We need to find a right balance, I think!
yee, julie // August 6, 2007 at 8:01 am
Tunku, I guess every parent must agree that when children flout disciplinary rules in school, they need to be punished but no need to use brute force ya?.
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