Draft : Caning leads to more harm than good to students

Caning can be defined as a form of corporal punishment consisting of a

number of hits known as "strokes" or "cuts" with a cane that is usually made of rattan

(Wikipedia). This type of punishment was originally being used by the corporal to train

and to punish their army trainer in order to discipline them. This type of punishment is

then being imitated and implemented in the school policy since it has been proven that it

can discipline the one who is being canned. However, this type of punishment

nowadays has become a controversial issue since it neglects the human rights.

According to a report, written by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties

Union in the year 2005, “corporal punishment violates international human rights

standards. Any form of corporal punishment is violent, humiliating, degrading and

uncivilized”. Caning is still being practised in Malaysia and it has caused many

headaches and problems to the Ministry of Education in Malaysia whether to legalised it

or not. The question arise whether the act of caning is still relevant nowadays for our

education policy. As an example, most of the European countries has restricted caning

as they emphasized more on human’s right. In many ways, caning leads to more harm

than good.

Caning leads to many negative sides such as developing rebellious instinct

among students towards their teachers. Caning is a kind of punishment which leaves

marks on the student’s body. This will not only hurt their physical appearance but also

hurt them internally. Students will develop hatred towards the teacher who canned

them. Most of the teachers think that they will earn respect from their students by caning

them. Instead, the students will develop hatred towards the teacher and the only wish
that they bear in mind is to revenge towards their teacher. This will lead to many other

problems, such as violence towards the teacher. “Caning of the student will only

demonstrate how devastating the effect could be to the teacher, to the school and to the

society’s moral values,” (Hardy, Janet).It is as if the teacher is stimulating and

encouraging the violence behavior of the students. A good relationship between the

teachers and the students no longer exist. The only gap that separates between the

teachers and the students is the grudge that is continuously growing.

Besides, caning will also discourage student’s creativity and productivity.

Creativity and productivity here means the ability of the student to create and to be

productive (wordweb.com). Caning will act as a psychological barrier by preventing

them to think outside the box. Student’s enthusiasm will diminish and they are no longer

interested in giving out ideas and opinion as they are mentally stressed because of the

cane. In some cases, most students feel that they are not well treated and this causes

them to rebel by not participating and engaging themselves in any activities organized

by the school. Instead, they will prefer to spend their time away from their school. For

example, most of the high school students that we can observe nowadays are

spending their time at shopping complexes, video arcades, etc. This trend should be

addressed quickly as it will lead to other serious cases which involve students. From

this, we can assume that caning may be one of the root that causes the increase in the

number of problematic student.

Caning will develop fearness and insecurity among the students. For some

students, being canned could probably be the most disastrous thing that has ever

happened to them, and thus, will affect them psychologically. For instance, they will feel
that they are no longer being appreciated and respected. This will definitely change their

way of thinking, in which preventing them to express themselves properly. As this

problem get the best of the students, it will affect their concentration for their studies and

thus will cost their future. Besides, students will also lose their confidence. They are no

longer the students that they were used to be as they have turned into quiet students

full with fear and hatred with their surrounding. They will always feel insecure and refuse

to socialize with others. They will develop self-hatred, hurting themselves and they will

become recluses.

In this modern lifestyle, caning is outdated as it is not a good way to deal with

problems of indiscipline. It is no longer applicable nowadays. There are other

alternatives to reduce violence in school such as imposing fine, sending trouble

students to detention classes and talks with their parents about their children’s

behaviours. Teachers now should be more professional and more compassionate in

dealing with their problematic students. They need access to highly trained counselors

and child physiologists, so that they can give counseling to each of these problematic

students. Apart from that, the Minister of Education should provide skills training on

class control and handling difficult students to teachers. With the other alternative ways

in dealing with problematic students, it will be more effective instead of caning the

students and this can boost the confidence of the students and hence will turn the

students into better students. (Chew, Victor “use the cane as a last resort, teachers!”,

The Star, Kuala Lumpur,26 July 2008).

In conclusion, caning does more harm than good to students. Caning should

be abolished in Malaysia as there are many other alternatives to solve violence in

school. The ministry of Education and the teachers should be aware and must equip

themselves with full knowledge on how to deal with these problems. The Ministry of

education should impose new regulations that the teachers from caning their student.

At the same time, a new strategy and alternatives should be implemented in dealing

with these problems so that the violence in the school will be handled in a well-manner

and effective way.

References :

http://privateschool.about.com/od/profdevelopment/i/beating.htm - Human Rights

Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (2005)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/caning

Hardy, Janet (2004).”The Toybag guide to canes and caning”. San Francisco :
Greenery Press

Chew Victor, “Use the cane only as a last resort, teachers!”. The Star, Kuala
Lumpur, 26 July 2008

BEL311 October 2008 .

http://www.wordweb.com