Mother Canes Son in Classroom for Disrespecting Teachers, Sparks National Debate

• A viral video showed a mother entering her son's classroom to cane him for allegedly disrespecting his class teachers
• The incident raised legal and ethical concerns, as the Ghana Education Service (GES) has banned all forms of corporal punishment in schools
• While some Ghanaians supported the mother’s actions as necessary discipline, others condemned them as humiliating and harmful
• Zikira Abdul Bashir, an educationist, shared her views on this story in an interview with YEN.com.gh

Opinion amongst Ghanaians has been divided right down the middle following the emergence of a video trending online depicting a mother flogging her son at his school, in front of his classmates for allegedly disrespecting teachers.

The emergence of the video has sparked a national debate on whether the mother's action is right of wrong considering the Ghana Education Service (GES) ban on corporal punishment.

In the trending video, the furious mother barged into her son's classroom during school hours and unleashed her wrath on him.

The mother entered the classroom, with a cane in hand, and proceeded to discipline her son in front of his onlooking classmates.

According to reports, the boy's teachers had repeatedly complained about his behaviour, but felt powerless due to the ban on corporal punishment effected by the GES.

As a result, some students had become increasingly disrespectful to their teachers. When the lady learned about her son's conduct in school, she decided that enough was enough.

The mother took matters into her own hands. In the video shared on X, classmates were seen holding the boy down as the woman flogged him.

The students counted as the mother gave him several strokes of the cane.

Watch the video below.

The video has exploded into a full-blown debate on parenting. Some said what the mother did was justified, as many children need this kind of discipline, while others claimed it was humiliating, as there are better ways the matter could have been handled.

GES rules on corporal punishment

In 2017, the Ghana Education Service (GES) officially banned corporal punishment in public schools to promote safe, non-violent learning environments.

The ban stipulates that teachers and school staff are not allowed to physically punish students under any circumstances; only positive discipline methods are permitted.

The directive from GES encouraged the use of its Positive Discipline Toolkit and emphasised non-violent, supportive strategies.

Since the ban covers the school setting, any adult, including a parent, who inflicts physical punishment on a child during school hours is violating GES rules.

The GES has stated that such actions by parents are tantamount to assault in the context of the school environment.

However, the GES has not yet issued a statement on this case. But the question remains, in a system where teachers can't discipline students, should parents be allowed to do the same?

Reactions to mum caning son in school

YEN.com.gh collated some comments shared by social media users reacting to the issue of the mother caning her son in school in front of his classmates.

Read some of them below:

@DesmondDjik commented:

"A mother has the right to discipline her child as she sees fit, as long as it’s legal. However, going to the school, disciplining the child on school grounds, and involving other students is not okay and breaks GES rules.

What if something goes wrong? For example, if she accidentally hits another student in the eye with a cane and causes injury, the school could be sued. Who would be responsible? Or if she harms her child severely, she, the child’s father, or social welfare could sue the school.

She’s not a GES employee, so she has no authority to act during school hours, even as a parent. The headmaster in the school and the class teacher need to be questioned for this gross negligence."

@VivienVivicoko wrote:

"Destroying the boy’s confidence. This is so wrong. Confidence is a vital ingredient in life!"

@GhanaSocialUni commented:

"NPP really destroyed this country when they banned caning in schools .. it should be brought back."

@metamorfos28 commented:

"I can imagine the joy on the teachers’ faces.😂"

YEN.com.gh spoke to Zikira Abdul Bashir, an educationist, on her opinion on the impact public discipline has on a child’s social and emotional well-being, and how parents can ensure they are teaching valuable lessons without causing harm.

"Public discipline may compromise a child's social and emotional wellbeing by causing embarrassment, shame, and loss of self worth. Public discipline can harm the parent-child relationship and potentially lead to feelings of resentment or anxiety when interacting in social situations", she said

"Parents should try to find safe and non-harmful ways to teach a lesson. Parents should discipline in private, remain calm, and focus on discussing the behavior and the outcome of that behavior", she added.

Headmaster denies students entry over unpaid fees

YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that two BECE candidates from Big Six International School in Meduma, Ashanti Region, were allegedly locked in a room by their headmaster over unpaid school fees and missing a school camping event.

As a result, the students missed their first exam paper, Mathematics, at Simms High School in Fawoade.

Reacting to the incident, Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Onyina-Acheampong Akwasi Gyamfi, condemned the headmaster’s actions, calling them “absurd” and an infringement on the students’ rights.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh