In all my years at school, not one parent stormed in to challenge his child’s punishment by the teachers. In fact, we, kids, kept our lips sealed about the scolding, pinching and caning that transpired.
Complaining to parents would mean a second round of pain since, in those days, mum and dad believed teachers were always right. So our policy was: What happens in school stays in school.
On the contrary, today’s students do not hesitate to blab. They know that their parents will confront the teacher, complain to the Ministry of Education, go on social media or consult a lawyer. Many parents do all of the above.
So, now it is the teachers who are being criticised, publicly shamed and even threatened.
Parents have even involved the law. In 2019, Shin Min Daily News reported that the mother of a Primary 6 student filed a police report about her child being caned by the headmistress.
A check reveals that the Education Act allows caning of male students but not girls. Also, no other corporal punishment besides caning is allowed.
Thank heavens my Primary 3 form teacher in the 1960s has long retired.
For ‘‘transgressions’’ such as failing to complete your homework or talking or misbehaving during a lesson, you would be summoned to her desk in front of the classroom. She would then grab about a centimetre of flesh at the side of your waist with her fire-engine red nail-polished fingers and twist with gusto.
For the rest of the class, it was truly a sight to behold the victim squirming every which way – like a fish on a hook. We called her Miss Pincher – only behind her back of course.
Other forms of punishment from her and our other teachers included making the offender stand on a chair or outside the classroom.
There have also been cases of “flying dusters”, when an infuriated teacher would throw the blackboard duster at overly talkative students. Being kampung kids, we knew how to duck, but we got the message.
Despite what could be considered cruel and unusual punishment these days, most of us grew up and become responsible citizens.
Much thanks to our teachers, especially Miss Pincher, who not only administered her peculiar brand of punishment but did not discriminate. Both male and female students were pinched equally.
