How many people were
caned in school and never changed? There was no improvement in grades or
discipline. Yes, sparing the rod is spoiling the child but the rod is not
always the way to put a student back on the right track. Sometimes it requires
some compassion and understanding.
The Utumishi Academy
video that went viral has attracted mixed reactions from Kenyans on social
media, with some people supporting corporal punishment while others do not.
Back in the days,
there was a primary school in Siaya where primary school children were caned as
if they were cows. After every exam, there was a ‘kamukunji’, a dreaded Friday
afternoon of caning. It did not matter whether a pupil passed the test or not.
Some pupils were beaten for not helping others pass exams, as if they went to
school to study for others.
Canes would be ferried
in the school van. There was a Kiswahili teacher whose lessons never missed
corporal punishment. He would even use pipes to beat children on the back of
their feet. It was hell. Neighbours called the school a prison because of the
things young girls would go through.
Some children survived
the torture, some transferred to other schools while others would fake illness
during ‘kamukunji’ just to escape the wrath of the teachers.
The following day would
be Saturday and another teacher comes in to cane the same students who were
beaten like stray dogs the day before. Sitting on a desk was painful. Pupils would
place books or sweaters on seats before sitting. Sometimes, the nerves would
simply give up and go numb. You could not feel anything.
Have you ever wondered
why some pupils who join form one with great marks (350 and above) never make
it to the top performers list in high school? Some of them hold positions at
the bottom of the class in consecutive tests.
What corporal
punishment does to learners
No student ever wants
to be caned. It is a painful experience especially for small mistakes.
In a school where
caning is the norm, students are disciplined because of the cane. Some of them
perform well out of fear. They study because they know failure means corporal
punishment. They cram content in textbooks without understanding what they read.
After finishing national
exams, they get out with almost nothing in their heads because they were studying
under pressure to pass examinations. They then proceed to high school.
Most secondary schools
do not engage in corporal punishment. A pupil passed exams because of fear of
the cane. He goes to high school and loses his grip in studies. There is no one
to cane or threaten him. He can choose to study or not. That is how some students
with great marks in K.C.P.E end up failing in high school.
It is important to
instill discipline in a child. He needs to get good grades. However, corporal
punishment is not the only way to correct a child or make him perform well.
It is high time teachers
understood that students are people with physical and psychological
aspects.
Do not find a student
in the wrong and result to caning as the only correctional method. There is a
lot to do to help misbehaving pupils or those not performing as well as they
should.
Parents should not abandon their roles in
their children’s lives and expect teachers to ‘straighten’ them. Before
complaining about caning, ask yourself whether your child deserved it or not.
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