The Physical Training of ChildrenChavasse, Pye Henry
Science
The Physical Training of Children
Chavasse, Pye Henry
Child care; Children -- Health and hygiene
Dr. Arnold of Rugby, one of the best school-masters that England ever
produced, seldom caned a boy—not more than once or twice during the half
year; but when he did cane him, he charged for the use of the cane each
time in the bill, in order that the parents might know how many times
their son had been punished. At some of our public schools nowadays a
boy is caned as many times in a morning as the worthy doctor would have
caned him during the whole half year; but then the doctor treated the
boys as gentlemen, and trusted much to their honor; but now many
school-masters trust much to fear, little to honor, and treat them as
brute beasts.
It might be said that the discipline of a school cannot be maintained
unless the boys be frequently caned—that it must be either caning or
expulsion. I deny these assertions. Dr. Arnold was able to conduct his
school with honor to himself, and with immense benefit to the rising
generation, without either frequent canings or expulsions, The humane
plan, however, requires at first both trouble and patience; and trouble
some school-masters do not like, and patience they do not possess; the
use of the cane is quick, sharp, and at the time effective.
If caning he ever necessary, which it might occasionally be, for the
telling of lies for instance, or for gross immorality, let the head
master himself be the only one to perform the operation, but let him not
be allowed to delegate it to others. A law ought in all public schools
to be in force to that effect. High time that something was done to
abate such disgraceful practices.
Never should a school-master, or any one else, be allowed, _on any
pretense whatever_, to strike a boy upon his head. Boxing of the ears
has sometimes caused laceration of the drum of the ear, and consequent
partial deafness for life. Boxing of the ears injures the brain, and
therefore the intellect.
It might be said that I am traveling out of my province in making
remarks on corporal chastisement in schools. But, with deference, I
reply that I am strictly in the path of duty. My office is to inform you
of everything that is detrimental to your children’s health and
happiness; and corporal punishment is assuredly most injurious both to
their health and happiness. It is the bounden duty of every man, and
especially of every medical man, to lift up his voice against the
abominable, disgusting, and degrading system of flogging, and to warn
parents of the danger and the mischief of sending boys to those schools
where flogging is permitted.
343. _Have you any observation to make on the selection of a female
boarding-school?_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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