Corporal punishment is now banned in all school in Seoul under revised regulation devised by liberal Seoul education chief Kwak No-hyun. But teachers complained that they are not ready for the changed and many are still confused by the new system. In this moment, we need to discuss whether the physical punishment right or not.
Include USA and nations of Europe prohibit the physical punishment, also if the punishment is harder than normal, teachers take legal penalty in the court. Like this, in the developed country, they don't want to punish the student, however Korea is opposite. Old generation think students can't take right education without the physical punishment. With this nonsense question, teachers make soundless violence under the prison, whose name is classroom. Like this reason, I disagree about permission of physical punishment in Korea public education.
First, Students must protect their rights. Students have the right to protect their body, and respected their personality. On the other hand, teachers say that they have the right to teach and educate the student, but physical education cannot be the right of teach. Teacher's claim is just an 'authority', not 'right'. For keeping the authority of teachers, we can't ruin the basic rights of human.
Second, we must protect the abusing the physical punishment of teachers. Let's think about the situations of physical punishment. Which teacher thinks reasonable and logical when they inflict the physical punishment to the student? Can teacher think 'This students must take the punishment by me.' in logical situation? In broadcasting system and newspaper, sometimes say about the physical punishment, and they don't say it was student cause. Of course, students do some mistake and error. But teachers who give hard physical punishment to students are not suppressed their emotion. Furthermore, a few students die or fall insensible because of the hard punishment by teacher. It doesn't make sense in society. Human's emotion can't abuse the human right. Also, Korean Education allow physical punishment, so teacher can use their authority by using punishment habitually - and it makes authority more than yesterday, and it goes starting point again.
Last, we have to take a look by the parents' mind. If your son or daughter takes physical punishment by teacher, you cannot feel good. Using physical punishment doesn't end in the school. It spreads in family, society further more. It means this issue is not educational problem, but society issue.
From old times, we revere the Confucianism and take lesson about respecting the elders and live politely. But, do we have to obey and take courtesy in violence situation to elder people? I don't think so. Our elder generation also keeps their junior politely, so junior naturally respect their senior.
Then why our older generation worries about the situations that prohibit the physical punishment? Because they didn't take the public education without physical punishment, so they think teenager can go wrong without it. When the older people study in the public school, they learn physical punishment can be the best education, and students worry about take punishment, so they study harder and do not go wrong. For this problem, public education system makes some effort about best alternative plan of physical punishment. In developed country, best plan is consultation. By the counsel, students and teacher can remake the relationship and solve the problem peacefully. Government must make the culture of non-violent to educate students more reasonable, and then society & older generation can agree about this 'Education without physical punishment system.
Dept. of Business