The issue of corporal punishment in schools remains topical in Antigua and Barbuda as people from a wide cross section of the public continues to give their opinion on the matter.
Corporal punishment remains on the books here but Psychologist, Dr Cleon Athill, is renewing the call for it to be scraped in schools.
Athill warns that beating children can leave them with mental or emotional scars for the rest of their lives.
The Ministry of Education has launched a Positive Behaviour Managementย programme but many critics, including Athill say it does not address the root of the problem.
“The problem with theย behaviour management program I thinkย the Ministry of Education has institutedย is based on the old notion that lets fix the child, that’s gone And so we need to shift from that into children are assets and they need to develop. So it’s a whole new mindset,” Athill said.
“The Ministry of Education Behaviour Managementย program needs to change the school culture, provide proper support forย teachers, and provide better tools for parents.”
รthill continued by stating,”So we don’t go about for children when they misbehave to beat them but we give them opportunities to engage in the behaviours that we expect.”
