A Georgia school has decided to bring back a controversial form of corporal punishment for students who misbehave: up to three “licks” with a wooden paddle.
Students who act out at the Georgia School for Innovation and the Classics in Hephzibah may now be asked to kneel in an office, behind closed doors, and receive strikes on their buttocks.
The school’s superintendent, Jody Boulineau, told local news station WKRC that bringing back padding is necessary for educators at the discipline-focused charter school.
“There was a time when corporal punishment was kind of the norm in school and you didn’t have the problems you have (now),” he said.
Boulineau says that paddling is not mandatory; parents must give their consent. However, those who don’t receive paddling could face suspensions instead.
Boulineau says that some parents have been supportive of the move while others have said “oh my goodness, I can’t believe you’re doing that.”
“Honestly, we feel that it’s something that’s not going to be used very often,” Boulineau added. He said he hopes that the threat of it will act as a deterrent.
