Spanking has been brought back this year after being abandoned by a Missouri School District 21 years ago. Some are up in arms, others are seemingly in support, and according to the school district the move was in response to parental support of corporal punishment. Here are the details of how this came to be, what the new measure means for kids and parents, and the public’s response.
The Missouri School District’s Reversal of a Disciplinary Measure Abandoned in 2001
In June, Cassville School District, located about an hour southwest of Springfield, Missouri, near the Missouri/Arkansas border, announced a surprising change for the upcoming school year. This change to impact the 1,900 students attending Cassville schools was regarding a new disciplinary measure to be instated.
The Missouri School District school board notified parents that with the written permission of parents, spanking would again be allowed in schools as a last resort.
Superintendent, Meryln Johnson commented, “It is something that has happened on my watch and I’m okay with it.”
Parents can opt out of the use of spanking of their children, according to the Missouri School District. However, it was parents who pushed for the option of teachers spanking as a disciplinary measure to come back.
Of course, as uncommon as this disciplinary measure is, once the news hit the online world, it became widely disseminated.
Some Twitter users were appalled and criticized the Missouri School District for the move.
One Twitter user said, “Awful corporal punishment in schools is wrong.”
Another commented on the story saying, “What.Is.Wrong.With.People?”
Yet some people made a joke of the whole scene.
I would like to see where this goes. pic.twitter.com/lsKwIXheIZ
— TheRealSamad (@therealsamad_) August 26, 2022
A Twitter user who had personally experienced spanking in early elementary school, shared her thoughts about the Missouri School District’s new measure.
I went to a Christian school in Maryland from grades K -3 where a wooden paddle was used as discipline. This only humiliated students and didn’t serve to correct behavior. It was a spectacle! Where is that data that supports this practice?
— Jennifer (@Jennpo85) August 26, 2022
Given that this is not a common practice, some may wonder why spanking in schools today is even a consideration today.
The Missouri School District had something to say about that…