UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND HUMANITIES

DEPARTMENT OF FOUNDATION AND MANAGEMENT

EFN 3101: ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION

LECTURER: MS AMELIA PERSAUD

GROUP G MEMBERS

1.Hadiyah Samad 1044998

2.Kayshena Persaud 1043845

3.Shellon Vandenburg 1043349

4. Tracy Braithwattie Daniels 1044780

5. Deon Kench 1043727

6. Coomarie Mahipal 1033150

Written Assignment

Provide FOUR arguments for or against Corporal punishment in the Education system.

An Argument against the use of Corporal Punishment in the education system in Guyana

The debate has been ongoing on whether to continue or eliminate the use of corporal punishment

in the education system in Guyana. Corporal punishment is the act of inflicting physical pain on

a child who has displayed behavioural practices that breach the rules of schools, (Guyana

prohibits corporal punishment of children in the penal system, July 2018). This kind of practice

is most definitely barbaric and should be stopped in schools immediately if we truly care about

our children. Therefore, the focus of this paper will be to argue in favour of the discontinuance of

corporal punishment in Guyana’s education system. Corporal Punishment can be equated to that
of slavery and the mere fact of inflicting physical harm on children symbolizes that of a master

coercing ‘slaves’ into subjugation. Nations have been resolute in their fight to abolish slavery,

Guyana being no stranger to that fight, then why should we continue to punish our children

physically? It is clear that corporal punishment encourages physical harm, mental/cognitive

block, low self-esteem, and mental distress (anxiety and depression). Thus, I argue that Corporal

Punishment is a beastly act and should be removed as a means of discipline from the school

system in Guyana.

To begin, corporal punishment in schools is mostly done in the form of whipping and this inflicts

physical harm upon the children’s bodies. As was articulated by Ms. Ally (2012) in her debate

presentation, corporal punishment has a legacy of slavery which brings on physical harm through

brute force and has now become an obsolete measure of punishment. To add to Ms. Ally’s

defense, one must take into account the physical effects of corporal punishment. Sometimes, the

said physical harm is not seen with the naked eye immediately whilst other times it reddens or

swells the point of contact briefly and then disappears. Other times, corporal punishment leaves

marks or scars on the body and it takes time and cares to heal and repair. Most often than not

though, it creates hurt through a burning sensation and other such pains. Clearly, these reactions

from corporal punishment create harm to the physical body. How then can corporal punishment

be deemed an acceptable form of discipline in schools in this day and age? Does our education

system consist of forward thinkers or backward slave masters? Please, we must stop the use of

corporal punishment in the name of disciplining children because instead of the expected

outcome, we are exacting physical harm on our children which will only hurt them more.

Another important point to take into consideration is that when we administer corporal

punishment, the probability of creating fear and a mental block is very high. Let us pause and
visualize the setting where a child is made to accept ‘lashes’ for breaking the norms or rules of a

school. If we are to put ourselves in the position of that child, what might we be thinking or

feeling? I am almost certain that if you were in the position of that child, you may be feeling

fearful or nervous. These are natural reactions that in turn affect that child in terms of cognitive

ability to absorb concepts during learning. Subsequently, we must pay heed to what the

specialists find in their evaluation of these situations. For example, The World Health

Organization concludes that corporal punishment has the potential to ‘impair cognitive

development in children that are affected. Therefore, is it not wise that we discontinue the use of

corporal punishment in our education system in Guyana, or do we want to be the architects of a

society that is cognitively handicapped?

A next pertinent point in support of the discontinuance of corporal punishment in Guyana’s

education system is the occurrence of low self-esteem that ensues as a result of the infliction of

this physical punishment upon children. Corporal punishment has the tendency of bringing on

shame and humiliation in children. When children are stripped of their right to protect their

bodies from physical punishment, the scars can be deep. Children who are whipped or beaten at

school will feel shame or less of themselves in front of their fellow peers and in some cases, in

front of teachers as well. According to Health Xchange. (n.d.), corporal punishment sends

children a message of aggression and makes them feel ill-worthy and disgraced in front of the

other children around them. Hence, it is important as an institution, the education system works

to build children’s self-esteem rather than tear down their sense of self-worth. Therefore,

corporal punishment should surely be shelved and locked away where it belongs, that is, in the

past and not in our twenty-first-century education system.

Finally, corporal punishment involves an act of force and aggression which have a profound

impact on children’s mental health. When children are beaten as a form of discipline, it exposes

them to aggression and anger which can have any number of reactions ranging from anger, to

hate, and nervousness. These are things that can weigh heavily on children’s young and innocent

minds. This sort of weighing can impose high risks on what children deem acceptable as forms

of punishment. For one, children might normalize aggression and want to practice the same as

part of their lives. Another outcome is that children might become anxious wrecks that

constantly lash out and fights aggression with aggression and this can be very harmful. As was

found by Sheppard (2012) administering corporal punishment creates mental health issues such

as anxiety and other behavioural issues that have a severe impact on the child now as well as

further into adulthood. As an education system that prides itself on progress, corporal

punishment should be out of the question, it should be stamped out of the education system

without delay. Hence, corporal punishment should be boxed away if we want to create and build

children with healthy minds.

In conclusion, the call for the abolishment of corporal punishment is universal. While some

nations are more steadfast than others, the result is that corporal punishment still exists as a form

of correction for unacceptable behaviour in our education system. However, given the many

adverse effects that corporal punishment imprints on children, it would be sensible to heed the

call for the discontinuance of this action immediately. As Ms. Ally (2012) argues, corporal

punishment is heinous, and it should be stopped so that we can respect and care for children in

more ways that are nurturing and uplifting. Ultimately, if we take out corporal punishment from

our education system, it is one step closer to ending physical pain for children, it will eliminate

any sort of cognitive block, self-esteem issues, or mental effects that this barbaric method of
‘discipline’ has on children. Therefore, in order for the education system to produce quality

children and develop a society that is made up of forward-minded thinkers, corporal punishment

should be banned with immediate effect.

 Reference

Guyana prohibits corporal punishment of children in the penal system. Global Initiative to End

All Corporal Punishment of Children. (2018, July 18). Retrieved November 28, 2022, from

https://endcorporalpunishment.org/guyana-prohibits-corporal-punishment-of-children-in-

the-penal-system/ 

Parenting tips. Health Xchange. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2022, from

https://www.healthxchange.sg/children/parenting-tips/child-discipline-physical-

punishment-psychological-marks 

Ms. Ally. (August 9, 2012). Speeches in the National Assembly. Corporal Punishment- |

Parliament of Guyana. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from

https://www.parliament.gov.gy/media-centre/speeches/corporal-punishment1 

Sheppard, R. (July 2, 2012). Spanking children can cause mental illness. Medical News Today.

Retrieved November 28, 2022, from

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247333#1 

World Health Organization. (November 23, 2021). Corporal punishment and health. World

Health Organization. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-

room/fact-sheets/detail/corporal-punishment-and-health