A Georgia school is making headlines for bringing back paddling as a form of student discipline.
The Georgia School of Innovation and the Classics (GSIC) sent home a permission slip for parents to sign if they consent to their child being paddled if necessary. Roughly 100 parents returned the slip to the charter school consenting to have their children whooped on the bottom with a wooden paddle if their behavior is bad enough to warrant the punishment.
This disciplinary measure is proceeding with 1/3 of the parents already consenting. It is completely optional, but school administrators believe old-school tactics will help prepare these children for the real world outside of the classroom, unlike the soft approach that is the norm throughout the country these days.
“In this school, we take discipline very seriously,” Superintendent Jody Boulineau said. “There was a time where corporal punishment was kind of the norm in school and you didn’t have the problems that you have.”
The permission slip clearly stated the description of the paddling, including the fact that the paddle is 24 inches long and 3/4 inches thick. Students will only feel this pain after their third time breaking the rules and “no more than three licks should be given.”
“A student will be taken into an office behind closed doors. The student will place their hands on their knees or piece of furniture and will be struck on the buttocks with a paddle,” the permission slip reads.
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Parents will be notified if their child’s behavior requires paddling. If consent to this form of punishment is not granted, parents must agree to a five-day suspension in lieu of paddling.
As the superintendent explains in the video below, the reaction has been mixed. Some parents have stated paddling should never have been removed from the classroom while others are taking a cautious approach.
WATCH:
Last year a Texas school district brought paddling back. Click here to read about that.
Source: 10 TV