BY: NAEMA NAYAN

Although caning students is virtually unheard of nowadays, there are calls by certain sections of society, especially parents and teachers, to bring back the cane in order to discipline and control errant students.

But there are yet others who are opposed to the idea of caning students, as they feel it is brutal and very harsh a punishment on such young people and perhaps some counselling or advice will suffice.

Whether discipline in school was better off in the yesteryears when the cane was used to punish, or whether discipline is better off now that students are spared the rod, no detailed findings have so far surfaced.

While not compared with the schooling of the past, the current school education system witnesses a certain amount of wayward behaviour such as students vaping and smoking, doing drugs, watching pornography or engaging in acts of bullying physically or online.

Those who propose bringing back the cane are also cautious of the use of the cane creating psychological problems, trauma and other feelings of ill will and therefore they are also in a dilemma as to what to do in handling students that are out of control.

Malaysia’s education ministry needs to study the situation carefully and decide if teachers should be allowed to cane misbehaving students or if there are causes and effects that are bad but the ancient proverbial belief is: “Spare the rod and you spoil the child.”

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher