Page 210 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

530 Records of Bahrain

C) 2

The ipiivlion o( School Discipline.
Several of tho headmasters spoko to mo on tho subject of corporal
punishment, tolling ino that thcro was a strong uiovo, outsido tho sohools,
(or ils total abolition, and giving mo their roasons for opposing any such
suggestion. 1 am bound to 6uy that I fouud inysolf iu comploto agreomont
with their view, which was that if corporal puuiskmont woro totally
abolished it would soon becomo almost impoBsiblo to prosorvo iu tho schools
that high degreo of diaciplino without which tho best work cannot bo
expected, either from boys or from mastors. In thoso Middlo Eastern
educational systems whoro corporal punishment is absolutely forbiddon,
the clfccl upon tho less amouablo of tho pupils is doplorablo. Thoy bocomo
la/.y, defiant, uud disobediout, and theroforo untcachablo. I onco asked a
high education official why tho boys in his schools woro not allowed to bo
touched, lie said that tho boys woro “ too noblo to bo boaten ”, My reply
was: “But not too noble, it seems, to lio, to cheat, and to bo insolent
to those who arc trying to teach thorn.” I think that if we are to avoid
a similar stale of affairs in tho school of Bahrain, at any rato on tho part
of tho less tractablo of tho pupils, wo must preserve tho ono form of
deterreut punishment which boys really respoct, and that is corporal
punishment.

Everyone kuows that whilo beatiug is a most unsuitable, and oven
aduugcrous way of punishing a certain typo of boy, tboro are othors for
whom it is tho best, tho most benoficial, and sometimes tho only possible
form of correction. A good 8ohoolmastor knows instinctively to which
category each of his boys bolongs, and providod that wo institute suitablo
safeguards 1 seo no objection to the contiuuanco in tho schools of Bahrain
of this method of maintaining disoiplino. Tho safeguards whioh I suggost
areas follows:
(1) No teacher except a headmastor shall strike a boy, under any
circumstances.
(■-) Tho striking of boys with tho open hand on tho head or on tho
faeo—a highly dangorous practice, which may result in iujury
to tho hearing or to tho oyesight—shall bo absolutely forbidden,
to schoolmasters of any rank.
(3) No boy shall over bo boaten for any fuulb arising out of lack
of intelligence or lack of ability.

v .(‘0 Every hoadmastor shall keop a Punishment Book, and shall
ontor iu it, on tho samo day, tho date, tho namo of tho boy
bouton, and details of his offence.

(•») It shall bo clearly understood, by headmasters and assistant
masters alike, that disobedienco of tho rules about corporal
punishment may bo cousidored by tho Education Dopartmont
• ullicient ground for instant dismissal.
I rCVf,;l.1,.ncud ^at y°ur Highness should rofuso to agreo to auy request
, no abolition of corporal punishmont, but should ordor that it may only
•Miinmjjjiorcd strictly in accordance with tho abovo rules.