FFS, those of you who advocate the use of the cane seem to forget that it was mostly the same kids who got caned throughout their school years!

These kids, despite their apparent arrogance, antagonism and disruptiveness, had low self esteem and poor self-control - and were often the victims of abuse and neglect outside of school! They needed psycho-social guidance to break the cycle of their own self-defeating thought processes and behaviours - not a physical thrashing!

It is possible that corporal punishment was somewhat of a deterrent for those on the margins of so-called 'acceptable' behaviour - but it did diddly-swat to help those who frequently received the most violent physical punishments assaults!

Moreover, I guarantee you that, if someone looked into the broader lives of those who were most often and most harshly-caned, there would be a strong correlation with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other abusive and neglect processes - which would make schools complicit reinforcers and perpetrators of that pre-existing child abuse!

As for those who happily wielded the cane and the ruler: they were self-righteous and sadistic control freaks, from whom we ought to have protected our children in the first instance!

FFS, those of you who advocate the use of the cane seem to forget that it was mostly the same kids who got caned throughout their school years!

These kids, despite their apparent arrogance, antagonism and disruptiveness, had low self esteem and poor self-control - and were often the victims of abuse and neglect outside of school! They needed psycho-social guidance to break the cycle of their own self-defeating thought processes and behaviours - not a physical thrashing!

It is possible that corporal punishment was somewhat of a deterrent for those on the margins of so-called 'acceptable' behaviour - but it did diddly-swat to help those who frequently received the most violent physical punishments assaults!

Just needs a little comparing on previous generations and what is today, Equitist.

Speaking for myself and million others, few are lucky enough to have been raised in a happy household and got new shoes when needed. Having been educated in the backwoods (no buses nor trains) I, among many others, had walked many miles barefoot to school.

It's true that there was a problem with cane-happy teachers,  and these very teachers earned a rod for their own backs when the cane was abolished.

However, there was little crime in Australia then, certainly kids hadn't attacked their teachers!

I was well behaved but was caned once. It turned me against the teacher because it was a petty offence that should have attracted no more than 100 written lines.

I might have taken punishment for the quarrel with his wife!

Corporeal punishment should be a last resort and a teacher should have to explain the act to some authoritative body.

That is my opinion.It would be a restraint on heavy-handed teachers and straighten out those heading to a jail.





I guarantee you that, if someone looked into the broader lives of those who were most often and most harshly-caned, there would be a strong correlation with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other abusive and neglect processes - which would make schools complicit reinforcers and perpetrators of that pre-existing child abuse!

As for those who happily wielded the cane and the ruler: they were self-righteous and sadistic control freaks, from whom we ought to have protected our children in the first instance!

olde.sault wrote on Nov 7^th, 2011 at 12:01pm:



Sorry, Salty, but you've got the wrong end of the stick there, if you think that our broader society economy is doing anything to teach our kids self-discipline!

Seriously, how could any of the pervasive culture of wanton materialism - and associated insidious marketing assaults on a child's self-esteem (i.e. you're not good enough if you don't look like this, if you don't have that) - be undone by a few cuts of a cane or a ruler!?

It's not the job of the economy to raise your children, it's the parents.  And if the parents are continually going to blame 'society' or 'the economy' for their childs failings, are they ever going to improve?