Jeffrey Lloyd
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
CHILDREN should be beaten in schools only if all other options have been exhausted and in the most egregious of circumstances, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd, pictured, has said.
He confirmed to The Tribune that under his leadership, education officials may revise school policies on corporal punishment, insisting modern research shows it to be an ineffective way of disciplining children.
His comments came after a district superintendent in West Grand Bahama and Bimini, in reaction to a viral video of a child in agony from complications stemming from an alleged beating by a school administrator two years ago, said the practice may be discontinued.
Mr Lloyd said: “I am not in favour of corporal punishment as a first, second, third or fourth option. I think there is obviously a place for maybe some use of corporal punishment but I believe that all other options should be exhausted first. Unfortunately as a society that is the first option we run to and I’m not going to tolerate that. I’m not going to accept it. There are many, many other very important, very effective options that can be utilised long before that is contemplated. I mean it really is an egregious circumstance for a child to have to be submitted to corporal punishment; under only the most egregious and I think that the rules require that any time such an act is going to in fact be exercised you have got to have witnesses there so it could be done in a most respectful and humane way. So we have to be very careful about this use of corporal punishment. We have a violent society. Why would we want to further create a culture of violence by inflicting and utilising this form of correction as a first option when there are so many other options we could employ? No. I’m not going to stand for that.”
He added: “We’re going to have a discussion with our team and we’re going to look at the policy and we’re going to make the necessary judgment reflecting the science of the day. There is evidence now as to what works and what does not work. We don’t have to feel and scramble around about it. You don’t go to a doctor and be guessing about what kind of treatment for particular maladies of your physical being should be employed. There are options so that’s what we are going to investigate.”
Traditionally, corporal punishment has had fierce defenders and some critics in the Bahamas.
In 2010, a study by researchers at the University of the Bahamas investigating the prevalence of corporal punishment of children in Bahamian households found that 77 per cent of households with children reported that “spanking” was sometimes used to discipline the minors.
The study concluded that violence between adults happened more in households where children were spanked “often” than when they were not spanked often.
The survey involved 933 people and 12 case studies.
Comments
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
In name Ma Comrade Jesus, did the minister just signal immunity for teachers and school officials who BEAT their students with his clear statement "CHILDREN SHOULD be BEATEN" in schools only if all other options have been exhausted?
joeblow 6 years, 8 months ago
While we're at it can we start to beat our politicians too?? I can still find a couple good tamarind trees!
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
Ma Comrade JoeBlow, what a messed up "invisible school children" legacy the minister education wants leave behind once rejected by his constituents.The man's speaks with such certainty that CHILDREN should be beaten in schools only if all other options have been exhausted and in the most egregious of circumstances. Good Lord, these our nation's mothers flesh and blood little children's who are not guilty of anything more than taking the wrong turn to head down life's challenging road. I remember listening to Jeff when as a popular talk show host he subscribed to the familiar phrase ‘it takes a village raise a child?
SP 6 years, 8 months ago
Education Minister Jeff Lloyd is out to lunch again. What is wrong with properly dispensed corporal punishment?
sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago
For the wutless way he has run this Ministry so far ........ Lloyd needs a good cutass!!!!!!!!
hrysippus 6 years, 8 months ago
Trolls out in force today, I see.
ashley14 6 years, 8 months ago
How barbaric! Parenting requires a lot of patience, they are children. Their little brains are not even capable of mature behavior. They learn through curiosity and exploring! Parents are to raise their children. That means teach them at every level they go through. Not beat them and destroy their spirit. You wonder why they are joining gangs. Beating in 2018 is unacceptable.
ashley14 6 years, 8 months ago
Then they grow up and beat their spouse. All they know is dysfunction and the cycle continues. What they need is education, love and care. Security not fear. I can't believe this is going on.
athlete12 6 years, 8 months ago
School beating did not help the kids when I was growing up. They became worse actually because beating them does not fix the underlying problem. Send these kids to counselors and find out whats really going on with them. Many of them are unmotivated because they have to experience real abuse when they go home.
I got beating in school a few times for not turning in homework lol. Which looking back now was ridiculous and barbaric but it had no effect on my grades or my motivation to do better.
Simply look where it has gotten us, a D average. F in the nation's capital.
licks2 6 years, 8 months ago
Current policy for MOE. . .based on research done on UN sanctioned beating in school . . . children can only be beaten as last resort as the minister said. . .and if the relationship comes to being beaten. . .only the principals are empowered to do so! The research effort was generated from the 2001 S. C. McPherson jr. school were a 8th grade student was beaten by a class teacher and as a result died in the classroom afterwards! The student had a condition known as Long-QT Syndrome that could trigger a delay in heart electric magnetic rhythm. . . anger in the student because of the beating caused his heart circuit to lengthened from the normal short-circuit rhythm in everybody. . .and the student heart gave out right in the classroom! That case resulted in MOE policy that the minister gave. . .
Tricyzshop 6 years, 8 months ago
Teachers need to be more skilled in managing adolescent behavior. If such skills are employed this would defuse most situations and focus on identifying the core issues of the student. Many student have undiagnosed conditions and as a result many are functionally autistic. Behavior always speaks to an underlying issue and sadly skills to identify such is what is lacking in our educators.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago
Teachers cannot be all things to all students .......... Bahamian parents want the teachers to do their parenting for them ......... If a child comes to primary school rude, entitled, spoilt, disrespectful, lying etc. ....... then check the home. .................. Then when these same children reach high school and they are smoking dope, sexing, drinking, cussing, fighting, and teefing and the parents are stuck in "not my good child" denial, then check the home ........ Lloyd is a real BS artist.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago
The Bahamas public schools have 55,000 students, 3,500 teachers, 400 administrators, and probably 100 guidance counsellors ......... Go figger.
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