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August 22, 2005
Punishment
I was listening to Radio City while driving to the office in the morning and there was a debate on punishments meted out to students in schools. There were many people who were vehemently arguing that punishments have an adverse impact on a student and the schools should stop meting out punishments to students.
I find it hard to buy this argument. Threat of punishment is the only way, I think, you can bring about discipline, be in the school or in the larger outside world. Can you imagine a world without punishments for wrong doing? Only anarchy will prevail in the world. We are living in a society where there is least level of tolerance and so much of hatred among people.
What people should be arguing about is the severity of the punishments meted out rather than the punishments itself. I have seen many instances in my school days where the punishments meted out were harsh and nowhere commensurate with the mistake the student had committed. However, if there was no fear of punishment among the students, it would have been a different ball game altogether. There wouldn’t be anyone who comes to school on time, there won’t be any respect for teachers. People might argue that teachers gain respect by the way they teach and the kind of knowledge they posses, however, without a stick approach along with it, it is never going to work (come on guys, we have all been students once and we all know how naughty and notorious we were in school?).
My sincere apologies to all of you who have patiently read this post and thought that you have wasted your time!!
Isn’t this also a kind of punishment for visiting this site?
Its been long since I posted a blog, so I am rusty (Don’t I have the right? Only the Indian cricketers can claim that benefit??)
Posted by Vasanth at August 22, 2005 06:27 PM
Comments
Ven,
What you say is absolutely correct, however, the society cannot be entirely liberal unless all of us go back to "Satya Yuga". Even in a democracy, there is nothing absolutely liberal, it all depends on the political muscle you have.
Posted by: Vasanth at August 29, 2005 12:39 PM
hi vasanth,
Vasanth do u mean spare the rod or spoil the child. To discipline the society, strict enforcement of law is inevitable; a necessary evil, indeed - for this the entire political system has to be revised. But in such a revised set up, I dont think there will be any scope for democracy or human rights. But dictatorship is only a shorliving phenomenon, human tendency will always tilt the game towards liberal order. The same is applicable for Schools too. A strict set up is only temporary. After the teacher leaves the class, students will raise a roar and will calm down only when the next teacher shouts back 'IS THIS FISH MARKET?'.
However, I agree to the extent that pardoning the Bad is punishing the Good. But corporal punishment is an entirely different matter altogether, but still debatable under different forums, not here (romba kottitaenaa?).
BTW, vasanth, congts! for your comeback!
Ven.
Posted by: Ven at August 27, 2005 11:45 PM
Xena & Kary,
Thanks guys for your hearty welcome
Posted by: Vasanth at August 24, 2005 08:45 PM
Hey Vasanth, Wah Re Wah! Nice to see you back. I strongly agree with you. Punishment romba mukiyam.
Posted by: karthy at August 24, 2005 03:16 PM
hmm...me thinks u right!:) There cannot be any discipline if there is no fear of being punished.
nayy..reading this blog was'nt a waste of time...'n y just the cricket team, all of us DO have the liberty to get rusty ALL THE TIME...but r u rusty??..really??,hmm..me thinks otherwise!;)
Posted by: Xena at August 23, 2005 02:49 PM