That's a Paddlin'

How would you feel as a parent to find out that your child's school district is bringing back paddle punishment? With this being asked of you to think about, a school district in the state of Missouri will be bringing this back.

On the 23rd of August, the superintendent Merlyn Johnson of Cassville school district announced a new policy that is going to be implemented that students can receive punishment with a paddle. Parents were notified of the board's approval this past June, it will require handwritten permission from the students' families before they start using it. But this punishment will only come into play when all other disciplines have failed and in reasonable form and the principal will have to approve it.

The policy also states that swatting bottoms with a paddle are the only form of physical punishment that will be allowed. If this is used, the principal is the one who will provide the discipline and will be in the presence of a witness. Also will not be held in front of any of the classmates, or fellow students. Johnson stated that the number of swats will depend on the age of the student being punished. Older students will get three swats and the younger students will get one or two swats. They did not clarify what age the cut-off from younger to older. The policy also states “ when it becomes necessary to use corporal punishment, it shall be administered so that there can be no chance of bodily injury or harm. Striking a student on the head or face is not permitted”.

How the school district came to this decision was from a third-party survey that was sent out to the parents last year and found out on the top of the list that the parents' concern was more on discipline. Parents have asked why can’t my student be paddled to which the school board had responded that their policy does not support that they do that. And this is how this new policy had come to the surface and will be enforced in the school district.