After reading Friday's letter of the day on corporal punishment, one paragraph in the letter really stood out. It read: "While the education administrators are disarming teachers of their straps and canes and require that they use only persuasive techniques for dealing with disciplinary problems, in the wider society, the administrators of law and order are further arming the police department and correctional services with deadlier guns in addition to skull-cracking batons."

This then prompted the idea that we should have a series of discussion on the merits and demerits of using corporal punishment to correct disciplinary problems. Teachers, parents, guardians and other caregivers can join in the discussion.

This debate is really not for the intellectual psychologists who are going to quote a lot of experts, statistics, etc. What I am really after are some real-life stories from those who overcame the problem and the methods that they have used. Stories from those who have successfully raised their children well in the same lawless society. What did they do?

Some time ago in a Florida supermarket, I overheard two Jamaican men talking about disciplining their children in America. The conversation went something like this: "Maasa, di government no want you fi discipline yuh pickney dem. Yuh can't beat dem, yuh can touch dem. Yu fi just talk to dem."

To which the other one replied: "Eeene, den later on dem same one ketch dem inna prison and give dem all di big lick dem. Dat time nobady nah sey nutten bout beating."

I do not advocate corporal punishment as the answer to all disciplinary problems as I have found very little need to use it. There are other effective ways. There is a big difference between punishment and discipline.

Parents should start cooperating with the school, the wider community, the Church and other agencies if they want good for their children. In many instances, they are rebelling. Parents are telling them one thing and doing another. Young people hate hypocrisy. They are looking for guidance. The Good Book says: "Train up the child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart." (Proverbs 22:6)

Barbara L. Daubon

b_daubon@hotmail.com

May Pen PO