Bad Girl

No, loyal readers, this won't be about my latest series of comments on Brew Crew Ball. Instead, this is about physical discipline in our schools.

As a youngster, I attended Yujin Gakuen, a Japanese Immersion elementary school which has since set up programs in Colin Kelly Middle School and North Eugene High School. I only attended for kindergarten and a bit of first grade, mostly due to an illness, but also in part because of the way they handled me and the other children.

My illness, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (Still's Disease), has been so bad in the past that it has prevented me from doing things that normal children love to do physically. During first grade, we were required to sit "criss-cross-applesauce" in our Japanese classes. One day, after recess, I couldn't sit that way due to the amount of pain that it caused. I tried explaining to the teacher, but she wasn't listening and didn't care. She picked me up by the wrist, suspending me in mid-air as she spanked me several times. She put me down and then forced my legs into the criss-cross position.

Physical discipline in Eugene (as well as the whole state of Oregon I believe) is illegal. She did not ever get reprimanded for her actions towards me, but she did later reprimand several other students and resigned.

I can confirm what the CNN article indicates - physical discipline does not help children act better. It simply makes them afraid of their parent/guardian/teacher/etc. And, as in my case, it's not always warranted punishment. It doesn't really help anyone to understand the reasoning behind why they are being punished. Honestly, detention helps kids understand and avoid repeating their actions more effectively.

I vote that physical discipline in our public schools should be banned. Private schools already don't have to follow the same rules, and it would be hard to demand they follow this one as well.