A non-government school in Queensland (Chinchilla Christian School (CCS)) attracted some attention this week for its support of corporal punishment in the classroom and interestingly, the Courier-Mail reports that this form of punishment had parental support.

Perhaps more interesting is that there appears to a mini-groundswell of support for reintroducing corporal punishment in government schools with a 2013 poll conducted by the Courier Mail showing that the majority of Queenslanders want corporal punishment to return to state schools.

Other than Western Australia, Queensland is the only State or Territory in Australia where corporal punishment is both allowed in non-government schools, and not prohibited by criminal legislation. The practice is illegal in all schools in all other jurisdictions, being prohibited by Departments of Education and under criminal law.

The topic of returning corporal punishment to schools across Australia is a controversial and divisive one. Earlier this year Kevin Donnelly, co-chair of the National Curriculum Review made headlines when he stated in a radio interview that 'if the school community is in favour of it [corporal punishment] then I have not got a problem if it’s done properly'. The furore that erupted after the press picked up on Mr Donnelly's statements caused him to write an article seeking to clarify his views on the issue (saying, amongst other things, that he 'respects the right of schools and their communities, within reason, to set their own discipline policies').

In response to Mr Donnelly's radio comments, Dr Anna Sullivan, the University of South Australia Academic referred to in our earlier article, led an online open letter signed by 194 national educational researchers calling for Mr Donnelly's removal from his position. In the petition, Dr Sullivan commented that Mr Donnelly's statement 'is a reckless and inappropriate endorsement of archaic attitudes and practices in relation to the discipline of children both in schools and society' and that 'in a community where neglect and violence against children has been on the increase, corporal punishment must be seen as a totally inappropriate and ineffective behaviour management strategy for schools'.

Academics such as Dr Sullivan make an important and often over-looked point. The attitude that is often espoused anecdotally by some social commentators that ‘my teachers used corporal punishment on me, and I turned out fine’ misses the point. Corporal punishment ‘works’ in the same way that using a gun ‘works’ for an armed robber – he or she will of course achieve the short-term result that he or she is after. The academics make the point that educational techniques should be evidence-based. What is important is the use of effective educational methods based on sound research, not relying on unfounded presumptions based on personal experiences.

From an international perspective it is interesting to note that in the United Kingdom corporal punishment is prohibited in all schools.  However in the United States, 19 States, including Alabama and Kentucky, still allow corporal punishment.   Interestingly in North Carolina the Onslow County Board of Education recently voted unanimously to repeal corporal punishment as a form of discipline in that County.

The debate about corporal punishment and its place in schools will continue to go on. Of course, people should be free to talk about whether corporal punishment is an effective disciplinary tool, but with all but two states in Australia outlawing corporal punishment, it seems that much of the debate has already been settled.

Do you agree? Would there ever be a proper use for corporal punishment?