Gamsat Section II Essay: Education and Children
Nowadays officials, parents and other representatives of a community are fighting with punishment in schools. There is certainly less flogging in our schools than formerly, but it is also true that children learn less material. These words underline, first of all, that punishment is reduced in the system of education. At the same time, it does not have a direct effect on the results that pupils and students demonstrate in the process of studying. In other words, flogging was considered as one of the crucial problems which could prevent children from showing progress in studies. As a matter of fact, it did not.Flogging should not be among predominant methods of teaching. It is too severe and even irrational. On the other hand, there is a question whether the fact that pupils learn less than it was earlier is connected with the reduction of punishment. The answer is not that simple. Since the process of education involves not only teaches and pupils, but, for instance, parents, children’s self-consciousness, and some more factors, flogging cannot be regarded as the key tool applied for improving pupil’s knowledge.
The problem of learning is often connected with a particular pupil’s ability in this or that subject. Another important factor which influences the process of studying is children’s attitude towards the personality of a teacher. An educator should have authority to make pupils learn his/her subject, even if they are not interested in it much. Finally, punishment is one more way of making children achieving excellent knowledge and marks. However, there are different kinds of punishment. A teacher should choose an appropriate punishment depending on various situations. Thus, a child can be punished for not learning a course material by means of getting a bad mark. Apart from this, a pupil can be given additional information for studying on the topic he/she has not learned. Another kind of punishment concerns its physical aspect. A teacher chooses whether raising voice is enough, or there is a need of resorting to flogging. One thing is clear: pupils’ success in learning school subjects depends on many factors – that is why the reduction of flogging has led to the reverse effect.In addition to that, the words by George Bernard Shaw “A blow to a child in cold blood neither can nor should be forgiven” are very bright and precise if one speaks about flogging of kids. These words mean that physical punishment must not be practiced with regard to children.
Besides, Bernard Shaw emphasizes a phrase “in cold blood” implying that intentional actions in this connection are inexcusable. Kids are a lot of fun, but people sometimes forget about this statement. On the contrary, they use violence, and children suffer. Can or should it be forgiven? Forgiveness is something that most of us want to get after we have done a wrong action. However, not many people analyze why and what for they have done …
