Corporal punishment in schools... a frequent phenomenon.. who prevents it

Al - Anbat- Shatha Hatamleh

 

Translated by - Neveen- Al- Jarrah 

In recent days, some teachers have resorted to corporal punishment of students, although the Ministry of Education reminds annually of the decision to ban the use of spanking in schools, because this practice leaves psychological and physical effects on students and must be eliminated by teachers resorting to modern educational strategies and methods such as positive discipline.

In 2007, the government issued Jordanian Education Law No. 1, which is instructions for student discipline in public and private schools and its amendments. The law stipulated in its general provisions that the school should not resort to corporal punishment in any way, including preventing the student from eating a meal on time.

The family and educational advisor, Dr. Khalil Al-Zyoud, confirmed that there is no justification for the teacher to inflict physical punishment on students or verbal insults, pointing out that some teachers resort to corporal punishment for many reasons, including that the teacher has not been trained in the idea of ​​alternatives, so he finds beating easier than strategies. In addition, there is a misconception that spanking helps to bring up students in a correct upbringing, but that beating creates psychological complexes among students.

And he continued that beating produces a generation that inherits the next generation with a greater amount of beating and violence, calling for subjecting teachers to intensive training on alternatives to punishment, in addition to separating benefit and behavior from each other, and education through mosque platforms and the media to prevent these wrong practices.

In the same context, the educational expert, Dr. Thouqan Obeidat, said that teachers' practice of beating is due to their lack of training in dealing well with students and the practice of other means, indicating that there are social values ​​that confirm the practice of violence, in addition to the teacher's possession of excess physical strength and authority that pushes the practice of physical violence.

Obeidat added that the classroom environment is disturbing to the teacher and he does not have the ability to deal with the large numbers of students in the classroom environment, which causes teachers to practice corporal punishment.

Obeidat continued that the practice of corporal punishment on students causes a loss of time allocated for education and teaching, in addition to its role in raising a weak-characteristic generation that does not learn on its own initiative, pointing to changing the social values ​​prevailing in society and eliminating violence in any form.