asked the Minister for Education the current regulations of his Department concerning physical punishment in schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Punishment in Schools.
95.
The current regulations in relation to the administration of physical punishment in national schools are set out in Rule 130 of the Rules for National Schools, as follows:
130 (1) Teachers should have a lively regard for the improvement and general welfare of their pupils, treat them with kindness combined with firmness and should aim at governing them through their affections and reasons and not by harshness and severity. Ridicule, sarcasm or remarks likely to undermine a pupil's self-confidence should be avoided.
(2) Corporal punishment should be administered only in cases of serious misbehaviour and should not be administered for mere failure at lessons.
(3) Corporal punishment should be administered only by the principal teacher or other member of the school staff authorised by the manager for the purpose.
(4) Any teacher who inflicts improper or excessive punishment will be regarded as guilty of conduct unbefitting a teacher and will be subject to severe disciplinary action.
May I inquire from the Minister if, in view of the considerable public interest and concern about these regulations and about what one might call the definition of the term "lively regard", he would consider setting up a commission or a working party composed of educational psychologists, members of the teaching profession, departmental staffs, welfare officers and parents, to review in depth the many aspects of physical punishment in the schools and the many implications which these regulations contain? Should we not have a review in depth now?
I have discussed this matter on many occasions with teachers and others. I made my position clear in reply to supplementary questions from Deputy Dr. Browne some time ago. In common with Ministers for Education everywhere, I would prefer that our school discipline should be operated in the atmosphere of love, kindness, sympathy and understanding. My attitude and the attitude of my Department, as I explained at that time, was to train the children by love and kindness, like the love and kindness that is available to them from wise and prudent parents. As the Deputy is aware, the teacher is in loco parentis. For that reason I would feel that the teacher should be in much the same position as the parent is in relation to the children. This is a positive attitude and an attitude which is subscribed to by the vast majority of our teachers.
I appreciate the Minister's sentiments in this matter and share them considerably. Would he not concede that he is pre-judging the question by ministerial pronouncements and that there exists validity for a very deep examination, not merely the Minister meeting the teachers or the parents and discussing the matter with them? There is a need which has not been met in my knowledge of the history of the State for teachers, educational psychologists, members of the professions and welfare officers to examine the question in depth without entering into objective judgments. The time has arrived for that form of examination. Perhaps, the Minister might consider it.
I could consider it. As I said here on a previous occasion, I feel this is a very emotional question. The Deputy recognises that. A number of factors, such as the recognition by the Department of the individuality of the child which is underlined in the new curriculum, together with the more up-to-date teaching methods and the closer co-operation between the parents and teachers tend to phase out corporal punishment. This is, perhaps, the best way in which it could be done. Some people suggest that we should abolish corporal punishment completely without taking into consideration the obvious difficulties which could arise from this. By so doing we could create problems which could be greater than our present ones. Corporal punishment is, in fact, being phased out because of the various factors I have mentioned.
Would the Minister agree, in view of the reference to the emotional context, that the kind of objective study which Deputy Desmond has suggested would have the advantage of reducing the emotional temperature and of giving us an expert view based on experience in other countries where corporal punishment has been abolished with results, good or bad, about which we would like to know something? Would the Minister not agree that, in order to accelerate the process which he sees taking place, such a study could be helpful and would help to take the emotion out of the atmosphere?
I can certainly think about it. I take an objective view of it myself.
We are entering into the area of pre-judgments.