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Shame, Shame, Go Away

School punishments can go too far, and when they do, they lose the power to turn a wrongdoer around. Yen Feng finds out what happens when shame passes the point of reason.

Writing a letter to The Straits Times to apologise and having your classmates beat you up – both punishments from teachers – made the news recently.

One was meted out to a student who had hurled vulgarities at his teacher, the other to a student who had handed in homework late.

But both called for public shaming. Now other students reveal similar experiences, when punishments had less to do with correction than humiliation.

A Pasir Ris school pupil recalled when a teacher punished her classmate for not handing in his homework by writing – with a whiteboard marker – on his forehead and hands.

Another pair of students at an all-girls school in the city area said their peers had been made to rinse their mouths with real soap for talking in class.

NOT WARRANTED

Of the 10 secondary schools that IN spoke to, five said humiliating punishments like public caning had no place in today's schools.

Said Victoria School's vice-principal Adrian Lim: "Punishment has its place in disciplining students, but certainly not to the extent of humiliating them in front of their classmates or the school.''

"I am unsure if it serves the purpose of helping students understand and learn exactly why they are being punished.''

So instead, misbehaving Victorians first sit down with teachers for a chat, then serve community service by helping out at charitable organisations or at school.

At Sengkang Secondary, full-time school counsellor Julia Goh said punishments that seek to embarrass students can have a negative impact on their emotional growth.

She pointed out: "Students misbehave for different reasons … for fun, or because they want attention from adults. If the reason for misbehaving is the latter, making them feel bad about themselves will only make the matter worse.''

Ms Goh recommends that teachers closely supervise students who step out of line, and set them constructive activities such as writing a report after reading a book, or doing community work.

Students told IN they see moderation as the best way to go.

For instance, latecomers to Greenview Secondary are not paraded in front of the school. Instead, for the last few years, they are penalised by having to attend detention for 25 minutes during recess-time.

Even though the lesson is that students must pay for their lateness with precious minutes of their own time, Natalie Koh, 15, Sec 3, said: "This still gives us at least five minutes to grab a snack if we're are hungry.''


Are the disciplinary actions in your school humiliating? Are they effective? Spill!

Which is worse - being called ‘stupid’ or being caned in front of the school? Here’s what you think!