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Give a Solution : 10/18/2009
Yes lets sit and talk to the children and find out why they are late, why they are bullies, why they have no respect for authority or rules, why they are in the courts at age 14 and 15..why they can't speak properly, why they are frustrated and liming on the block and I could go on. I am sure Dr. Agard and the principle did not just wake up one morning and say let's beat the children ...Its easy to say call the parents but where are the parents when the boys are throwing stones at the buses and stabbing their peers. I must admit its amusing how we are now comparing our behaviour to North America and how Barbados is lacking but I am sure all rules are followed over there because the consequences are known. I am sure the same Bajans known for tardiness went to the 'big' countries and learnt really quickly how to get to work on time... P.S don't forget the North american influence an be both positive and negative. We have to do whatever is best for our country. I have no solution so I can only respect all teachers and principles for trying. I was never flogged at school but at home (not often) but the thought of it taught me to curb any behaviour. Talking...try talking to some of the same parents of these children who will cuss you out for daring to bring about change with their child. Sometimes I think we are living/visiting on a differnt island and not seeing what is going on around us. Maybe those living overseas need to visit again soon for longer than a couple of weeks

S Goddard

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CRAZY PEOPLE : 10/18/2009
Are some of these the same people that wondered how school teachers, officials and principals could allow situations to fester in schools that could culminate in students being bullied to death? Are some of these the same people that wondered how the school system had become so lax that students could be allowed to run wild and torment other students? Do we know what we really want? Where do we think the indiscipline starts? Do the children just wake up one day and start using cocaine and stabbing their classmates? It starts with lateness and rudeness to teachers and skipping classes. It starts with playing truant, not doing homework and vandalism...then they graduate to other things like drug use, sex, bullying e.t.c. Many of the people in this forum who keep saying, "teachers must talk more" either have model children at home whom they can control (in terms of behaviour/temperament and number) or are extremely stupid and simplistic. Put them to run a school with a thousand children (with about 200 psychotic and maladjusted) and see how they would cope. Some of them can't even cope with their one or two darlings. Some of them when they are called to the school and hear the acts that their little angels were caught doing, faint and have asthmatic attacks. It's a pity God made some people so stupid...and we expect the discipline in schools to improve. CHEEZ

Psychotic

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Even America was finding painful ways : 10/18/2009
To make those Taliban people talk when they refused. Pain *is* a deterrent. To put it another way would you go doing something over and over and over again when you know it hurts? Same logic. Them kids aren't going to come to school late for too much longer once they realise licks hurt... Same exact logic. Let them licks flow. Time to bring back the discipline in schools.

J. Payne

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How you can send someone's child home? : 10/18/2009
The school would be responsible. If that child reports to school late, and they send the child back home and the child get knock down by a car then who is responsible? *stupes* In two-two the get the licks and be done with it. Then there after they know there's consequences. Simple and fast. And the rest of the children know that they aren't getting licks too because why? They weren't late.

J. Payne

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*stupes* keep the licks nuh : 10/18/2009
They should keep-on licking... Because some children are too hard-ears until they get a good set of licks to bring them back to reality. Have you ever seen an inner-city public school classroom in places like America??? No discipline whatsoever... The students are the ones there running the teachers, and probably about 10% of the class time is spent by teachers trying to get the whole class to come to order. Some parents don't bring-up their children properly, and they simply turn their children loose on the school to cause havoc. Well, if the kids aren't getting the discipline at home, and if school can't do it either one can quickly see why the schools in American and Britain are in the state they are in.... (This isn't just me saying this, it was in the BBC too -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1867513.stm )These parents are too busy working and trying to make ends meet to devote as much time as they should to their kids and these are the kids that end up in all kinds of problems. I say- if the teacher is able to have licks at their disposal for severe cases *and* if it can actually bring the class to attention then let the licks flow. All it takes is a handful of mischievous students to ruin a whole class, and cause the rest to act out because they think it is "cool". If the teacher needs to correct those few using extreme measures then so be it. If the students still don't want to hear, then kick their backside out of that school and put them into a boarding/military school where they can get as much attention as what they need. Even the United States knew that by inflicting a little pain now and again on the Taliban members when they wouldn't cooperate that they would all suddenly cooperate. "Who don't hear gon' feel: works good enough. Keep up the licks.

J. Payne

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floging in publicbajan : 10/18/2009
I am so glad someone had the nerve to do something about it. Do you think if the Garrison teacher had done this the guardian would not be in court. It is time that someone had the guts to o it. The kids these days are trying to be like the ones in the usa and someon need to stop that

bajan in atlanta

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Let us find Solutions : 10/17/2009
CZ4VK, I compliment you, your comment is oh, so true: If the parents were really incharge of their children, DR. Agard would have been engaged in what he is being paid to do, teach the students. These students who roamed the city at all hours of the day, PARENTS ARE THE GUILTY CULPRITS. These parents are the same who cussed the teachers, principals, and never seen to understand the perilous and detrimential behavior, they are exposing the children to. These parents are under-achievers and that is their children inheritance. I am amazed that some reader fail to understand, these parents do not grasp the mechanics or importance of education: Children are the product of their enviroment. Therefore the solution is: Continue the flogging, but find channels of communication to address the under-achiever parent's problems. THESE PARENTS DON'T KNOW, AND DO NOT KNOW, THEY DON'T KNOW. May God give the Authorities involved the wisdom in finding TEACHABLE SOLUTIONS, for the parents and offsprings.

Stepping Forward

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Teacher Flogging : 10/17/2009
As a born bajan living in the U.S.A I look back on the days when I got flog for being late. It was not brutal or barbaric but it put some fear in me to be on time each and every day to avoid that flogging. This kind of fear was mutual respect. Our parents understood because when you leave home for school that is where you should be and on time that means you do'nt have time to be introuble. If school starts at 7:30 it does'nt take any child in Barbados 2 or 3 hrs to get to any school.It seems like Mr. Agard is looking out for the interest of the children not only to be respectful but to take a stand in growing up to be a responsible adult, regretably he took the wrong approach in this matter. I do beleive the children and parents of this school are aware of the rules and it ca,nt be the first time this happen this is probably a spoil child who never was repremanded in this way at home or anywhere and took it to the extreme.Education is one thing but sometimes a little commonsense helps.Parents in Barbados need to be more involve in their children lives if they would desiplin the kids growing up they would get respect from them and the children would show it outside of the home whether it might be school or otherwise.Due to the lack of disipline at home teenage pregnancy is on the rise. AS a passenger on the bus I see the young girls are more interested in the Mini Bus drivers and conductors than going to school. To me this is a disgrace to themselves, their parents who are paying for their education and the school.Therefore, everyone is at falt.Schools need to meet with parents who have problems with children before matters get out of hand.Barbadians have to realise back in the days our parents never speard the rod which we think is too harsh a punishment today but with that mentality the prisons are taking all our land to house these unrully unmannered teenagers and young adults that are destroying our land.I could go on but it would take a lifetime to express my feelings. Thanks for this oppotunity MiMi N.Y.

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Corporal PUnishment : 10/17/2009
After reading half these comments my reaction was ''stupse!!!!" After working with children from the the inner city in NY, I am still a firm believer in spare the rod and spoil the child. I've seen too many children in there who think their little behinds are so precious and therefore behave accordingly, with no respect for authority. I think however, that the punishment at ST. Leonard's should not have been meted out at the gate for all to see. Flog them yes but away from the eyes of the public. I do not know why some think that we should adopt all that is North American, since they are worse off than we are. Why are we so intent on allowing our society to go down the drain with our children having no respect for authority and believing that a well deserved spanking will maim them for life. I've got my share of lashes as a child and as an adult I feel no kind of animosity towards my parents/guardians because of it.

Bajan Princes

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How interesting to read these comments : 10/17/2009
Two plus hours late to school is unacceptable. Flogging by teachers is also unacceptable. I understand that is the "bajan" mentality, but in today's society, it is considered child abuse. The situation definitely should be addressed. A conference with all involved is a better approach, followed by strict consequences if the incidence happens again. Hitting is not always a solution for a problem. Those of you who are so quick to judge the American/Canadian and English way of handling discipline need to take a step back, read, learn and understand before you judge and most of all, learn to use correct ENGLISH before you put your comments in writing for others to read. a bajan living in the US

dstbp

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To beat or not to beat. : 10/17/2009
Mothers are nearly always responsible for the children getting ready and leaving home for school. What can we do to make,yes,to make the fathers understand their responsibility. Mostly in Barbados the fathers live a double life with an outside family even without shame. Problem is, what can we do to reverse this ingrained behavior? Because too much is place on the mother. Her responsibility needs to be shared with the father which is sadly lacking.So, the children suffer. (BEEN THERE)

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flogging : 10/17/2009
more like abuse,i see you r afraid to publish what i wrote.I will try again,"so what if one of those kids turn up at school with a gun,and the principal and the ready to beat teacher were the receiver of what he had to dish out" what then?

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Flogging : 10/17/2009
Before we past judgement on the student we must first find out why he was late.The only lesson that teacher passed on to that student, is that violence is the only way to solve an issue. Unless that young man gets help he will think it is okay to hit anyone that he is mad at. As an adult that teacher should have a better way to discipline students.

Reg Marshall

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that is why you have bullies : 10/17/2009
hello all you sorry people out there that are mad about the kids getting flog if it was done at home the teachers won,t have to do it at school.iwas flog at school too and i could not say any thing to my parents or it would be another flogging.that is why barbados schools are the way there are today here in the usa the bibles were band from school and guns and knives step in do you bajans want the schools in barbados that have the best education in the world to be like the schools in the usa? parents do your jobs at home and make the teachers job easy.stay out the school let the school staff do they job.

10-17-09

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Discipline them : 10/17/2009
I personally have no problem with corporal punishment. Mr. Agard to me you have done no wrong. The children were not punished unfairly, there are no physical injuries and furthermore, these boys would think twice about getting to school so late again. The BAJAN YANKEES that commenting so much negative, i am sure had lashes when they were younger, it is not "illegal or wrong" in bajan culture to lash children, Agard as far as I am concerned had all grounds to punish these boys. If we don't nip the deliquency in our country then the disrespect for authority and self in our young ppl will deteriorate even more, just like those young ppl who live in the BIG CITIES *hint hint*!so to you bajan yankees since wanna don't lash wanna children, I hope they are not lil raving TYCOONS with no manners.

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: 10/17/2009
To CAM in Brooklyn, if the parents were doing what was expected of a parent these children would not be showing up at school at 10 o'clock. I am speaking here from experience having being scholled inboth Barbados and Canada can attest to the fact that as a consequence of not flogging thechildren in Canada has not rspect for teacher, and would stand in class and cuss out these teacher. I also fell into that same pattern on my arrival in Canada, but was fortunate to have a Vincentian as a PE teacher who happens to know a friend of my dad. Needless to say the way my dad tore up my behind when he heard of the things i was doing at school, turned me back into that respecting student I was in Barbados when i had to watch my P's and Q's with regard to authority. Lets take Bim back to the day before american influences taught our children that Authority is just a word beginning with A.

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Most qualified guard in Bim : 10/17/2009
Knock Knock "Whose there?" "A-gard" "A-gard who?" "A-gard with a Ph.D and a rod to roast your backside"

No joy

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flogging : 10/17/2009
mr agard my praise goes out to u iworte a comment this morning but i in see it appear but your work will be well warred when u retire

janitor

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: 10/17/2009
I think flogging children these days should be left to parents and even then some parents may go over the top when doing this. Schools should stop thi as they are openin them selves up for being sued for physicaqlly abusing children who is to say a child 10 years down the line decides to sue his/her school for being psychologicaly damage because of being flogged at school. But why was this flogging done in public that was unprofessional should have bee don in school. Also some where along the school has lost power because these students have no respect for the school, teachers or fellow students to brazenly come into school at ten in the morning is un believable the school needs to adress this before it becomes worst.

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To Flog or not to flog? : 10/17/2009
I worked with Dr. Agard in the 1970s and had I remained in the teaching profession he would have been my model. I have never seen a person more committed to his calling than Dr. Victor Agard. Dr. Agard understands the sociology associated with schools like St. Leonard's better than anyone I have known and I have no doubt that his intent is nothing but for the good of those students. However if the idea is to change a particular type of behavior the jury is still out on the results. Unfortunately the wide press coverage and the diversity of opinion on his actions will no doubt affect whether these children get the message. I believe that behavior change is a process and it is debatable whether one flogging will send the message of behavior change. Perhaps a short "tour" run by the BDF after school where rigorous discipline can be emphasized, might be a better alternative. Behavior change is a process not a one moment event! I still believe Dr. Agard means well and he wants productive citizens to walk out of that institutions. To my friends in North America, I wish you would stop making all the silly comparisons and accept and see the issue in its cultural context. Flogging is ingrained in our school culture. It did not happen overnight. It would also be nice if you tell the kids that children in American and Canadian schools do not saunter in almost three hours after opening. Also their parents would get an automatic telephone call if that happened and would have to explain why. In most big cities police truancy details pick up kids every day and take them to a facility where an explanation has to be given why they are not in school. Please dot try to hoodwink the Barbadian public. Bajan in NJ.

CZ4VK

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Split over flogging : 10/17/2009
10/17/2009 I think this is something the school system look at now not later before the matter becomes more deadly. I mean children against teachers. If the schools starts at 7:50am at least 10am is not an approprate time for the child to come into the school, it upsets the rest of the classroom and the attention goes from learning to something else. Why, should other children suffer because these other children comes in a classroom late. Like in america some children attend school where the commute is not too bad in the morning. The other thing is that even if the children in the States go further there is a school bus arriving to and from on time and these children never miss the ride. In Barbados the children don't care. The teachers are trying to do there jobs that they are paid to do, unlike other government workers who don't do nothing that tour the streets all day. MR TEACHER I don't believe in hitting. SEND THE CHILDREN HOME OR AT THERE PARENTS JOBS WITH THE COPS MAYBE IT WILL HIT HOME. American

746VL

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: 10/17/2009
This is so sad. All of those overly sentimental commentators who have been indoctrinated by the North American rubbish, should spend a day or two in a North American school and see what happens when children are taught not to respect authority. Let them look at any major city and see what out of control kids are doing even before their age reach the double digits. Read something other than the Nation and see what is going on in this world. Do we want this for Barbados? They should also check the statistics and see what is the end result of allowing children to think that they can do what they like with no consequences. The USA cant build prisons fast enough for the crimminals that they have massed produced. Most first time inmates will return to prison because it is a part of them. Please, this is not a time to be sentimental, sensible is more appropriate. An ownway child grows into an ownway adult, and it almost never changes. Dr. Agard could have been sitting at his desk and not put himself through that, but it matters to him. Do we know that very shortly in Barbados we wont have many teachers left? That about half of the teaching staff will retire in the next 5 to 10 years. Please let the man do his job. The time will come when Bajans will wish that children were disciplined in school. When we cant be comfortable in our homes, and we have to pay higher taxes to build prisons, then we would wish that we had disciplined our kids. Lets learn the good from what developed countries have to offer, we dont need to learn their rubbish that has traumatised their county to the point where no one has the answers. Children need to go to school and learn. can we afford to send them the message that it is not important? I raised two boys in Barbados as a single parent, and I can recall only one flogging, because they knew what was expected of them. Somebody has to train the children. Those psychiatrists who put their foolishness out there, were researching white children, and found that alternative forms of punishment worked for them. We are a bit more passionate and intense, and once we hold on to something, it is hard to change, so we have to instill the right values and habits from early. Did the anti-corporal punisment advocates tell you that The USA has a 12 percent black population, and 40 percent of prison inmates are black? The system has been designed to destroy certain classes of people, and it worked. Wake up people. Dont let our young people get out of hand. They need to be disciplined, in a manner that works. I see the word barbaric being thrown around. Is anything more barbaric than being in prison and be at the mercy of every sick mind in your environment? Read about the stuff that goes on in Prisons. A few lashes will save many from real barbaric situations. All I can do is pray that God has mercy on us and open our eyes. None so blind as he who would not see.

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Public floggings : 10/17/2009
It is great to see those unruly students being flogged in public.

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Flogging : 10/17/2009
What a beautiful sight to see that school BOY being flogged in public. Next, we should conduct a few public hangings to show the world what a beautiful and law abinding country we have. Finally,lets put a few corrupt polititions before a firing squad to again show the world that we are better than Afghanistan. Darcy Husbands

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Readers split over flogging : 10/17/2009
What about not admitting them into school and notifying they parents by phone that they were not in school and inform them what time they were trying to enter school for that day and let the parents do what they will to they own children. Let the parents do what they are suppose to do as parents.

CAM/Brooklyn

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Split against flogging. : 10/17/2009
I do hope that the fathers of this little Island could be mobilized in some way to be examples for their sons, to show them good examples as only a father can do. Not leave it to the mothers because a Son will absorb his father's footsteps. Remember that now there is no grandmother sitting in the corner seeing and hearing everything and having more time to share love and advice. (Sad Baje USA)

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To beat or not to beat? : 10/17/2009
I say again unlike Mr. Joey Harper, I agree with the exposure of this barbaric and cowardly act against a defenseless school child. somebody's son, somebody's brother, somebody's friend. Oh my Father! If this is not against the law, it should be. Then it is ok to beat your wife or your animals. Then don't think that we are the beautiful educated christian people that we are claimed to be. Then we are hipocrits and liars. I know that if this was my child, I would be rolling on the ground and fuming at the mouth until this law is made clear. To beat or not. (BAJE USA)

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: 10/17/2009
Parents should be held more responsible for the actions of their children. What job they can go to hours or minutes late for that matter? Parents has the responsibility to teach their children the importance of punctuality. Tardiness is not accepted in the work force, why should it be accepted in school where you are being prepared to be a productive citizen. Wake up parents take charge of your children's behavior and then the school wouldn't have to take care of it for you.

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To beat or not to beat? : 10/17/2009

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Flogging of students. : 10/17/2009
These matters are not necessarily clear cut. Why were the students late? What part did the parents play (if any) in the late arrival? Had the children been warned before? If the students had been warned of the consequences of being late then they only have themselves to blame.

John IOM

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: 10/17/2009
I think one should be careful in praising the teacher who flogged these children. The phrase "let the punishment fit the crime" comes to mind. If children are going to be flogged for being late, what punishment will be meted out for a more severe infraction, such as bullying or stealing? It is true that children have to be made aware there are consequences for their actions but what message are you sending them by behaviour such as this shown by a school teacher?

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: 10/17/2009
I know Dr Agard, and his family. His older sister and I were friends when we were kids in elemetary school. I looked up to Victor eventhough he did not know it. His mother was a very religious and strict woman, and brought up her children to always be respectful, kind,and focused on their education. As kids we all marvelled at how bright he and his siblings were. I would often hear my mother and her friends in our neighborhood talking about Victor, and how bright he was. They all thought Victor he was an exceptional young man, and was going to make his mother proud. It was no suprise to me when Victor became a teacher, others thought he would be a preacher, but not I. Victor is and outstanding individual, and the teaching profession in Barbados is all the richer having Victor Agard as one of their teachers. Victor came from a humble background just like most of his student, and can identify with al their challenges. He values education, and I know he cares about them, and wants to mold them into being all that they can be. So lay off Victor Agard, he is one of those teacher that truly cares. Bajanjoy,N.Y.

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PUBLIC FLOGGING: : 10/17/2009
BARBADIANS HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THEY ARE BETTER EDUCATED THAN MOST PEOPLE IN THE CARIBBEAN.IN THESE MODERN TIMES THIS IS NOT THE WAY AN EDUCATED NATION BEHAVES. DR AGARD FELT POWER, AS THE TEACHERS FROM THE 60'S AND 70'S FELT,AS THEY ADMINISTERED PUNISHMENT.TAKE A LOOK AT HIS PICTURE,BEARD AND ALL,ARE HIS BELIEFS ROOTED IN TALIBAN CULTURE.FOR A MAN WHO PROFESSES TO BE A DOCTOR(DOCTOR OF WHAT BRUTALITY?)HE SHOULD BE MORE ENLIGHTENED.DETENTION,SUSPENSION,NOT TALIBAN PUBLIC FLOGGINGS.WHERE ARE YOU MR.PRIME MINISTER.

BAJAN IN MISSISSAUGA

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: 10/17/2009
This is insane. Dr Victor Agard? Public floggings? Think slavery. The Minister of Education should step in and stop this madness, if he wouldn't, then the Prime Minister should. Here we are trying to lure visitors to our shores, and then this silly act is flashed all over the world, equalled only to the Taliban. Remember violence begat violence, and it is done in the schools.

Baje in Philadelphia

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Old Times : 10/17/2009
I was very glad to see this teacher flogging those students. I think the people that live overseas she just shut up because they know that in their countries that they are living in now there is so much crime from the young people because there is no flogging. They need to stop being Dr. Spock parents.

Beat it

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: 10/17/2009
Whilst I support corporal punishment in school - although not by any and every teacher preferably by the Principal,I just could not support the public flogging of any schoolchild. If these children are persistent late comers surely this is not the way to deal with it. Involve the principal, the parents the ministry of Education. Surely beween these three interventions some thing could be sorted out.For me being on time is so important. If these children do not practice good time keeping now when they go into the world of work this is exactly how they are going to behave.

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Late No More : 10/17/2009
To the Teacher,Good for you I am going back way back to'Spare the rod and spoil the Child some children just do not respond to reason and talking to them makes no impact. These children need to be more respectful and realize that "playing hookie" will NOT be tolerated!!!

Bajan in Boston

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: 10/17/2009
DR. Agard, you are my hero, these people don't see these children hiding in the busstands all thru the day ,they don't, so they would say all types of things.Tell them board the oistin bus I travel on ,on evenings your head would grow, disrepect, rude indifferent, one evening, the driver pull off the ,and let the school boy who was cursing so bad if he don't behave it's either off the bus or the police station.So GEORGE GRIFFITH SHUT UP.TAKE YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS.IT"S ABOUT TIME THEY GET FLOG IN PUBLIC.

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The art of flogging : 10/17/2009
I've seen children flogged like crazy and not change. I've seen children that at the sight of a belt or other instrument of punishment alter their paths. However, either can still grow up to be citizens or criminals. Flogging is just one form of punishment and it should be administered when the occassion suits it. However, when done with the intention or result of embarrassment, is it still effective? I think children only respond to lashes when they recognise that inflicting pain is out of character for the person administering it. For example, if a child has the opinion that a parent or teacher is abusive, aggressive, irresponsible and unreasonable, they will not respond positively to pain-based punishment. On the other hand, a child learns from lashes when coming from the hand of someone they respect, who is typically gentle, acts in fairness and who they trust. The goal for any punishment is to teach and enforce responsibility. I hope the boys that received the flogging were made aware that being late can lead to problems for them but also for others

PR

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: 10/17/2009
To some of the Bajans who are trying to adopt the North American attitude I say forget it! I was a teacher there and work in the system here,sometimes I look at the children and wish somebody could cut their behind.Worst when they come to school pregnant,I call them school mothers.Let that flogging get the parents/ students attention. Some here are rowdy and others great, its like homework, do it parents and then the teachers can teach

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Choose ye this day whom you will serve. : 10/17/2009
Sometimes it is best to take a few steps back and then look at an issue. And after having done that I see that the issue is not flogging at all, the real issue is that the world guided by the crafty hand of Satan is in an all out war against God. Everything that God says is good the world is saying is evil and everything that God says is evil the world says is good. The purpose of flogging is not to break the spirit of the child but to break his/her will. Is it not preferably for the child to be corrected early on in a number of ways, flogging being just one, than to have the child continue to go down a path of deviancy which may lead to and include (drug abuse, criminal activity, prison and death…). The foreigners amuse me, they have been told to think that it is abuse and barbaric and yet their societies have become uncontrollable, unmanaged cesspools but yet we are to follow their more enlightened opinions. Dear friend understand this – the last virtue of all dying societies is tolerance. If you have cancer do you tolerate it? Or do you fight it by all means. Don’t be fooled by liberal sounding pap, we are to fight the good fight against cloaked evil agendas.

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: 10/17/2009
Let us get over what happened at St. Leonard's. Maybe it will send a message to students as well as parents. Every country, city, town want to raise decent people and it begins at home.

t

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To Beat or not to beat : 10/17/2009
Not sparing the rod to spoil the child but using the rod to discipline. We have broken the rod that supported the past and the present fabric of our socity and now we are a broken people desperatly in search of a footing or a hand grip to support us and our modern day believes.I say,"spare the rod and spoil the children!" The future is bright for them? The future is dark for adults? Beachdun

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forsalee1 : 10/17/2009
you don't want teachers to flog, we dont want parents to flog, we call it abuse. when the get adults and they turn wicked we blame the teacher and parents and tunr them over to the prison to punish them for us. (wow talking about bending a tree when it is old)

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To Beat or not to beat : 10/17/2009
Not sparing the rod to spoil the child but using the rod to discipline. We have broken the rod that supported the past and the present fabric of our socity and now we are a broken people desperatly in search of a footing, a hand grip to support us and out modern day believes.I say, "spoil the children!" The future is bright for them? or is the future dark for the adults? Beachdun

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: 10/17/2009
I applaud the teacher at St Leonard's school for enforcing discipline on the children. Children need to learn that disobedience always results in consequences. If they continue to flagrnatly disregard laws of that institution and are not penalised for it, one day they will not repect laws of soceity and eventually becoming criminals. The bible says that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of correction will drive it far from him! Barbarbos is fast becoming a place where lots of lawlessness abounds. Curbing a child's attitude at this level may prevent further miseries later,especially if one becomes a victim of crime. lmjlg

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Flogging : 10/17/2009
I am a Barbadian living in New York for many years. While I agree with corporal punishment I feel that the punishment should not have been carried out in public. If there is one place on this earth that corporal and capital punishment is needed is in NY. There is no respect for for the law and other people by most young persons. The children are very ill-mannered and disrespectful. The parents are no better. However, "justice must be tempered with mercy" and I do empathize with the frustration that must have been felt by the good doctor and the other teachers. The pain from the lashes won't last forever, but the thought of the pain will linger on. We never like pain and this may assist in bringing about some semblance of consciousness and responsibility in the children to amend their ways and follow the right paths. My siblings and the kids I grew up with received lashes, and we are still alive. We feared and respected our parents and teachers, and as a result none of us went to prison. Barbados do not drop corporal or capital punishment, they both serve their purpose. Nevertheless, corporal punishment must be carried out in a dignified manner.

Do it Dignified.

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TO TIRED OF THE SELF RIGHTEOUS YANKEES! : 10/17/2009
Their is something call Freedom Of Speech!! What goes on in Bdos pertains to most Barbadians including myself! Just because we live elsewhere, doesn't mean we shouldn't voice our opinions! As you put it, (rot) goes on everywhere! Let the people do their jobs? Their jobs are to teach our children not flogg them! The students were wrong to turn up for school 2 hrs late, but that does not mean they should've been flogged in public for the world to see! When you mentioned people turning up late for work 2 hrs constantly, anyone can turn up 2 hrs late for their jobs constantly. The difference is, those people will be terminated, not flogged. I live where I do not get the Nation News Paper, but I am happy that others like me all over the world who has access to the Nation can read, and voice their opinions about going ons in Barbados or elsewhere. About the spelling and grammar: Not even an english professor at times during his\her writing skills are perfect. You need to go back and read what you wrote, because I saw some mistakes in YOUR comment. Lets stick to the topic of flogging in schools, and other serious issues pertaining to our youth of today, instead of bickering about others who don't live in Bdos, and spelling and grammar. Don't get me started tired of the Self Righteous Yankees who ever you are! Marilyn Ross-Tbeur Kansas City, MO USA

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Discipline The Only Way : 10/17/2009
Are the people crying down the flogging telling me that its ok to stand up in eagle hall until 9.30 waiting for fish cakes, or waiting until a particular minibus makes a complete trip to return to the city before they board it? I see them walking on the street at 9 and 10 A.M. as though they were going to the beach on a saturday morning. Someone has to stop the nonsense that is happening and that teacher did SOMETHING. This should be the policy at All schools. Well done Mr Agard.

Mr B

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17 /1o/o9 : 10/17/2009
london as i say before no teacher should flogging no one thouse days are gont i think school gates should be lock at a serton tine if a child turn up late at the gate he should make to go back home that the way i see it that teacher need to take to court in london that is child a buse

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