Physical punishment
In Indian culture physical punishment among kids is normal.
We use physical pain and scare tactics to make kids obedient. The most common form pf physical punishment include beating on leg or the hands of the student using a wooden cane. There is no discrimination against boys or girls. All sexes get equal beating. But of course boys get more punishment because they get into more trouble compared to girls. Another way of punishing is pinching, mostly on the ears or on the arms.
Physical punishment has been the norm in schools and households in India for a long time. In schools, the only teachers we fondly remember to this day are the ones who didn’t beat us and who always took time to explain things patiently without any abusive words or beating. The ones who did beat us were always remembered with a slight frown on our face. They just induced terror and made our school life a tad bit harsher.
When beating at school is not enough…
Indian parents send their students for additional tuition to a private tutor. So after school we would go home and change our dress and eat something. Then it is off to the tutor’s home for additional 3 hours of classes. Classes range from two to three times a week. Normally parents do this to make their kids even more smarter. They think that additional tuition will help them get even better grades. My biology teacher was my private tutor. Since my mom wanted me to be extra smart, i went to this teacher from second grade up until 8th grade. So after the biology teacher would pinch me at school, i would go again in the evening for an additional dose of pinching to her house. I think my mom wanted the best out of me, but i was getting less interested in studies due to all the pinching and punishment.
In Poland kids are not given physical punishment. That way kids develop a sense of responsibility. In Poland and in Europe, kids are talked to. Parents listen to their kids. They ask their children why they lied. Parents ask the kids ‘why did You do it? i told You that You shouldn’t do it’. Parents explain to kids why they did something wrong. Kids feel respected that way. That is how people respect each other in Poland.
Kids will learn their mistake and would stop doing them in the future. They will in turn understand that it is not a result of their bad will and adjust their behaviour. In Poland if the kid is disobedient parents ground him. He/ she cant go to the playground, or watch tv, play video games and use internet etc. etc. They are aware of the consequences of bad behaviour.
Where as in India, if the kid is a little noisy in class or doesn’t do his homework. teacher would make him stand the whole class in the corner of the class room. Most probably He/she will be beaten in front of the whole class.room Maybe to avoid humiliation the kid will do his homework or be quite the next time. A few might not understand what they are doing wrong. Bad behaviour is rewarded with bad treatment. Kids are not explained about the consequences of their bad behaviour.
I think one of the reason why physical punishment is popular in India is the following. We are very populous country. An average class in India would have 60 students. Each grade has about 4 classes with 60 students each. In my school there were around 2500 students.
If the teacher would take time to explain all these kids about the consequences of their bad behaviour, it would take them a long time.. The quickest and most effective way would be to beat the kid and induce pain so that they won’t repeat this behaviour. Many kids might understand the consequences of their bad behaviour, but many won’t. Those are the kids who develop learning disabilities.
We believe that physical pain will make us stop doing things which are bad or not worth doing.
PS- My Polish friends told me that physical punishment was once used in Poland too. How did it look like. Does any one know? Please let me know in the comment section.