CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN ELEMENTARY-EDUCATION - VIEWS OF BARBADIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN

Most previous research has suggested that children often express littl e unconditional disapproval of the use of corporal punishment in schoo ls. However, this might be expected to change when pupils become aware that such treatment is no longer permitted in many countries, or hear it labelled as ''abuse.'' This paper reports on research conducted in elementary schools in the Caribbean island of Barbados, where head te achers (or their authorized deputies) are still permitted by law to us e corporal punishment, Findings indicated that approximately three-qua rters of pupils surveyed still approved use of corporal punishment wit h their own age group, although their comments also suggested that a c onsiderable amount of routine (and illegal) ''flogging'' or ''lashing' ' by regular classroom teachers occurred, which many wished to see sto pped. The growing risk of clashes between parents and schools was also identified. While this and other recent studies in Barbados provide l ittle evidence of support for the total abolition of corporal punishme nt within the educational system, it is hoped that research may have s ome role to play in exerting pressure on schools to eliminate some of their more ritualized and pedagogically counterproductive practices.