Punishment, Hooliganism, and Discipline

Some people say that children need more discipline in schools, and that otherwise it will lead to hooliganism. Whilst I agree that some discipline is important, I do not believe in corporal punishment and the use of the cane, as it was misused in my school.

When I was 11, we had a teacher who used the cane and the slipper, although the slipper was actually a rubber plimsoll. This teacher allocated a kid in my class, to put ticks next to the names of people who were talking in class. The kid didn't like me or my friend, and so he put ticks besides our names even though we weren't talking.

As a result of this, me and my friend were caned six times each, and it was extremely painful leaving red marks on my skin. The second time I was caned I was indeed playing up in class. I remember that after receiving his caning, the other kid who had also been playing up, starting laughing when I was caned, because I screamed out loud, to which the deputy head teacher said "Do you want some more!?". This was only three strokes of the cane and wasn't so painful though.

The third time I was caned, we were all lined up outside a classroom, waiting to go into class, and a teacher who had a red nose walked past. Some kids shouted out some insults, to which he just pulled me out at random and sent me for the cane. Again, when I had said nothing. I was caned three times again.

On another occasion, I remember being in the school assembly, and because one kid was smiling, he was pulled out in front of the school and caned six times. I thought this was very unjust, just to cane a child for smiling, but the kid told me afterwards, that the deputy head caned him because the deputy head was also a magistrate, and the teacher did not like the kid's uncle who had been in prison.

So it seems to me, that the cane can be used selectively, against certain children some teachers just take a disliking to, and I've seen this happen. I'm also against caning, because some teachers gain sexual pleasure from inflicting it.

Also, some of the bullies at my school were caned, and this made no difference to them, and didn't stop them from bullying. Indeed, the bullies seemed to feel that being caned, had made them harder and given them a mark of status and respect.

Whilst some people say there's not enough discipline in schools, and not enough respect for teachers, a lot of this is to do with bad parenting, as is hooliganism. Maybe some basic parenting skills should be taught in secondary schools, so that when children get older they have some idea of how to be good parents.

I also don't agree with smacking children, because this can be misused too by some parents who use it to abuse a child, along with hitting, kicking, pulling hair, knocking glasses off of the face, throwing things at, etc. I was abused in this way, and smacking was also a part of this, and I was often smacked for no reason.

I'm also against smacking because in itself it's a form of bullying, saying that I am bigger and stronger than you and can hurt and dominate you. Whilst some discipline is important, children also need to be taught self discipline and respect for each other. Bullying is a big problem in schools, and I think that persistent bullies should be expelled from schools in order to protect the other children.