Page 12/The Battalion/Monday, April 23, 1984
Hotline helps document corporal punishment in schools
United Press International
Corporal punishment in
schools has been documented in
the calls of frantic parents to a
hotline run by the National
Committee for Citizens in Edu
cation.
Parents dialing the toll-free
number, 800-NETWORK (dial
letters of the word), during its
first year asked for help in cases
where paddling caused welts
and bruises. They also sought
guidance in responding to
other inappropriate and de
meaning punishments, includ
ing:
• Frequent episodes of mild
paddling, a discipline measure
creating an atmosphere of fear
and intimidation among stu
dents. Some paddlers punish
kids for not working up to po
tential. In one second grade, all
who did not score 100 on a
math test were paddled for ne
glecting to turn in homework.
• Students having hands
taped to their desks to stop fid
geting.
• Tying boys together with a
rope so they would stop fight
ing and learn to get along.
• Placing children in cages in
the classroom or in windowless
closets.
Nancy Berla, director of the
NCCE hotline project, said 17
percent of the 4000 calls during
the first 12-months were about
discipline matters and 90 per
cent dealt with corporal punish
ment or suspension.
Berla said corporal punish
ment usually is reserved for the
disciplining of young students
and suspension is used for older
ones.
“In cases where the paddling
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is severe enough to cause
bruises or other injuries, par
ents often report to child abuse
authorities, intending to place
charges against the teacher or
principal who inflict the pad
dling,” Bera said.
“They soon learn that such
incidents are not legally consid
ered child abuse and cannot be
investigated or acted upon by
the agency.
“The parents may appeal to
the school board, charging
cruel and excessive punish
ment. But the school board
members invariably back the
teacher and principal and are
not responsive to the parents’
objections to this type of pun
ishment.
“In many schools, teachers
carry their paddles attached to
their belts. The teachers are ac
customed to using the paddle
on children for petty or trivial
behavior, such as being late to
class, not having the right color
pencil, missing the school bus to
go home, talking at lunch time,
)f f
and being out of their seat with
out permission.
“These offenses could easily
have been corrected by repri
mands or penalties much less
severe and less painful than be
ing hit with a wooden paddle, a
belt or a switch.”
The hotline is attended 9-to-
5, Mondays through Fridays.
Other times callers’ complaints
are left on recording tape.
Bera said she usually advises
parents to confront the teacher
or principal and to also check
up on the legality of corporal
punishment in a particular
school district or state.
She recommends that Mom
or Dad insist that a report on
the incident be put in the child’s
file, along with a notation that
the parent objected.
diate assistance from child
abuse agencies.
“If the punishment is severe,
I recommend that they com
plain to the school board,” she
said.
Dr. Carl L. Marburger, edu
cator and a policy director of
NCCE in Columbia, Md., broke
down other hotline calls about
school problems. He said they
concerned lack of service and
programs for handicapped stu
dents, 14 percent; placement in
class such as being put in second
grade when parents think the
child belongs in third grade, 10
percent; about dealing with a
poor principal or teacher, 7
percent; about parent rights, 6
to 7 percent; about student
rights, 6 to 7 percent.
“We tend to get thentj
calls,” Marburger said
that callers don’t knowt
else to turn for help, pit
the hotline is meeting it
tended purpose.
Marburger said corjn
punishment is authoriteii
law in '52 states and itappej
be allowed in 12 statesthat
elected to remain silento
subject.
He said New Jersey, |
chusetts, Maine, Hawaii
hibit it; California and 1|
allow it only il parental pm
sion has been given.
Bera said most parents are
shocked that they get no imme-
Other
problems
tilers sought aid for
:onnected with test
ing, transportation, evaluation
of teachers, single parenting.
“We have an awful
cases and it sounds bad
said, “but the evidences!
is not a benchmark. \
city schools have outlaw'd
poral punishment.
“We entourage pareij
erywhere to work towanll
end.” m
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San Antonio research park established!
United Press International
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tomobile Ass<x:iation and chair
man of the San Antonio Bio-
Technology Foundation, said
the park will provide a base for
private industrial researchers
and academically oriented sci
entists to collaborate in produc
ing new products.
A formal announcement of
the park’s establishment was
scheduled Monday by officials
from the foundation and the
University of Texas Health Sci
ence Center.
McDermott said the park will
also house an entrepreneural,
applied development center
that will work to turn basic re
search into marketable, bi
omedical products.
The park will l>e built on San
Antonio’s economically-de
pressed west side near the
Southwest Research Institute
and the Southwest Foundation
for Biomedical Research.
Plans also call for the Univer
sity of Texas Health Science
Center to establish the Institute
of Biotechnology on 50 acres
adjacent to the research park.
The UT Institute will include
a Center for Molecular Target
ing, which will conduct ad
vanced research on human cells
and cancer research, said Dr.
Frank Harrison, president of
the Heallh ScienceCemet.
Sm rounding the park*
a large development ol ^
• u u s. master-planned i
coiiunodaie commerda
diMitial and public serna
support the research coi
McDermott said.
"This park will pm San,J
nio in a strong positioni
race among American cil
become a major center!
ence and technology,” Mdl
mott said. “The potent
economic growth, whic
produce more and beiterjl
for the people of this dty,ii
mendous.’’
I le said the park willhai
potential “to generatelal
thousands of jobs in thtf
Antonio area.”
Mayor Henry Cisneros,i
lias spear headed effort!
make San Antonio a tecta
center, called the parko
the most signficant c
opments in the city’s hislon I
“With this park and then
bined research excellent!
brings together, we ...cantt
ize the dream of beingst
biotechnological and t
neering center," Cisneross
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