PM leads debate on corporal punishment
By ISAAC NICHOLAS
PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday led calls in Parliament for corporal punishment to be reintroduced in schools following reports of a rise in violence and poor discipline in many schools throughout the country, including the universities.
Reports of cultist practices, school students in uniforms drinking alcohol instead of being in school, drunk and disorderly behaviour by students at universities leading to destruction of properties, and teachers abandoning their classes have got authorities worried on where education was heading.
Spanking a child when he or she breaks school rules was considered destructive practice and banned years ago, but Prime Minister Sir Michael yesterday called for the reintroduction of corporal punishment to instill discipline in schools.
Sir Michael wants the Department of Education to look into introducing corporal punishment from the primary school level up to universities.
He received a rounded applause from members when he talked about forgetting the western concept of “free man” and “freedom” to instill discipline in children.
“Our universities and all other schools lack discipline.
“Before I stood on the floor in the old House of Assembly and said there must be discipline in all the schools. I am the same person to stand here again to say mipela nogat disiplin long skul bilong yumi (we don’t have discipline in our schools).
“In my time, ol isave hatim mipela ya, mipela save stat wok long 5-kilok long moning ya; disiplin istap (they got on us; we start work at five in the morning; we get drilled before we start school).
“When we came out, we behaved like students, not big rubbish, gras nambaut tanim tanim, wanem kain samting yu laik soim (with dreadlocks, what do you want to show)?
“I think the Education Department must review its policies, and bring back corporal punishment; the teachers too need to be punished,” Sir Michael said.
“When I was a school teacher and I am late for work at 7.45am, I am late. My pay is deducted; today teachers go to lecture or teach in classrooms at three in the afternoon,” he said, adding sometimes there are no classes at all.
He also called on parents to discipline their children to become better citizens.
“Allow them to loaf around the streets after hours as there are hundreds of them outside the Mirigini (Prime Minister’s residence) gates waiting to go to the Golf course to caddy, don’t they have something better to do with the kids.”
Former Prime Minister and New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan could not resist a jibe at Sir Michael and, in a supplementary question, called on the PM to instill discipline in the public servants and his own ministers as well.
Sir Julius said discipline must start from the top right down.
Capital punishment in schools is a hot issue of debate in many countries.
In most western countries, it is outlawed because authorities believed that smacking a child is more harmful than useful. It has also resulted in legal action by parents.
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