To Rotan or Not To Rotan

I read with great amusement of a story in a local daily saying that female students should be caned, because their disciplinary cases are just as serious as boys.



“There have been suggestions that girls should be caned as sometimes there are more girls than boys in schools, and the problems they give are just as serious,” said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar.



The call to introduce caning for girls in schools, was one of the resolutions passed at the National Seminar on Education Regulations (Student Discipline) 2007. Altogether they passed 21 Resolutions. Besides the idea to' rotan', a resolution on banning handphones in schools was also passed.



Of course, the idea of 'rotan-ning' female students met with much negative reception. Understandably so, I mean which parent would like their daughters been given this punishment. Moreover, it would affect the students self esteem, and should it be public caning during school assemblys, it would only rub salt into a student's already wounded self esteem.



However, having said the above, I'm not against the idea of caning female students, BUT it should be handled tactfully & be done in private. Punishment should not cause physical injury & female students must be told why they are to be caned.



Girls nowadays are becoming bolder & naughtier, so I say using the 'rotan' would be appropriate. Remember how our parents & teachers would whack us when stepped out of line? We became decent, disciplined grown ups.


Source : www.thestar.com.my
picture courtesy of : www.archivist.f2s.com