Will have to wait until after Monday, May 10th to participate more actively in this discussion (Am in the process of preparing for a major workshop!) However, Rico, the days of any kind of punishment = abuse (whether corporal = physical, emotional, mental, verbal or other) are long since over - or, they absolutely have to be, if not yet! This is all abuse, no matter how you choose to state it or view it, and our children must be taught (if necessary) not to accept it, because - very simply put....any kind of abusive behaviour is totally unacceptable, whether parent to child, teacher to student, or any other. We are talking 21st century here, when people should know better!! As in the case of Gerard Delaney's son, how many of us parents would not mind at all seeing our child come home with a battered face? Would you, as a parent, Rico, not want to know what happened? And investigate to get more details?? and if it was a case of abuse, especially by some adult, then do something about it? and then, even further, want to protect your child from further incidents of this kind? The problem with the "Spare the Rod..." philosophy is that too many adults lose complete control of themselves, unleashing their fury on the vulnerable (in most cases, but not limited to, kids) leaving them battered, scared, and lonely - with no one to turn to, including, in some sorry cases, their parents....which is why the whole Child Rights movement, in particular, is so rapidly gaining momentum, worldwide. Members of any society who are most vulnerable (in most cases women and children) need somewhere/someone to go to for support and protection. More later.....After May10th :)
Patsy MnM wrote: > As part of the Mapusa based, Child Rights Group, > Roland Martins persuaded Gerard to file a simple complaint > with the Mapusa police. Gerard did and the complaint was used > as a basis to take the matter up with the school. > Mario represented the Delaneys in the official enquiry > that followed with regular hearings that lasted a few months. > Result: the master was suspended and has not set foot in St. > Britto's again, thus saving generations of students expensive > dental treatment for life! As far as this goes,I think it has a lot to do with our ideas of what is the "right" and "wrong" approach to bring up children. These days, it's fashionable to be liberal and give in a lot to children. In our times, we grew up with a lot of strictness, particularly in a Jesuit institution like Brittos. Yet, I bear absolutely no grudge against the institution and our teachers, and in fact feel grateful that it taught me a great many things in life. A lot of parents speak out against "corporal" punishment in schools today, and would term it abuse. Personally, I feel the teachers need to have some leeway to operate, even as we parents appreciate how difficult it can be to get across a point across to a child in these times -- when the kids get bombarded with all kinds of messages. Is a rap on the knuckles more harmful than a remark in the calendar which scars a child in emotional ways? Is it better to correct a child on time, rather than fail him in Std VIII and have a suicide before you know it? (One such case was reported in the neighbouring village of Parra last month-end.) Whatever happened to the spare-the-rod ... logic :-) Or do we have fashions-of-the-day in child rearing too? (Apparently Benjamin Spock is not treated with much respect nowadays, someone who knows better could clarify.) The teacher mentioned in the above case was my teacher too. He was a good scoutmaster and PT teacher, if a bit on the strict side. (Those of us who were pushed out from Lourdes Convent at Std VI/VII for a compulsory migration to some place like Britto's know of how 'indiscipline' on the ground was treated -- five rounds around the football ground!) I think teachers are much more patient when they're younger, but perhaps the school-routine results in burnout and cycnicism over the years! Something needs to be done to make their work less soul-killing! FN -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active! ________________________________ From: Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, May 5, 2010 5:49:14 PM Subject: Re: [SALIGAONET] Saligao-related issues -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active!
