With a new president in office, there have been rapid changes to the United States. Donald Trump has defunded the Department of Education and made some large changes to education in the United States, including Connecticut, which has one of the best education systems in the country. These include changes to how discipline is addressed.
Trump has created a policy to “reinstate Common Sense Back in Schools,” as stated on the official website for the White House. Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, says that this executive order is all about “giving teachers authority back in classrooms.”
One of the directives is to reverse a ban the Obama administration
put on corporal punishment in the classroom. The implication is that the Trump Administration would like to bring back corporal or physical punishment back into schools. This is a threat to children’s learning and mental health. The executive order to bring back physical discipline in schools will give teachers the ability to strike and hit children in school, which can make children scared to go to school, and increase mental health issues, especially in teens.
Specialists at the Oregon Health and Science say, “As pediatricians, we don’t recommend corporal punishment. We know it’s not an effective form of discipline. Spanking and hitting a child might help a behavior in the short term. They might be fearful and obedient….But in the long term it has a lot of negative consequences.”
Many are against corporal punishment and have been protesting against it. On social media platforms such as TikTok, many users claim they are willing to fight back against their teachers, which can cause an upbringing in violence and fights in schools across America. Children and teachers will most likely end up being hurt, and the issue could seriously escalate.
In a survey, students were asked how they felt about the policy and what they would do if a teacher were to hit them in class. Of the 30 WHS students surveyed, 62.5% of students replied that they would hit the teacher back if they were hit, and 37.5% said that they would tell their guardian. Additionally, 93.8% of students disagree with the new policies on school discipline, with only one responder saying that they do agree with it. Here’s what some students have to say about the new executive order:
“I didn’t know about this and it’s absolutely absurd. I am so shocked and am kinda scared about what’s going to happen in school systems.”
“As an individual who has been abused, it would definitely be triggering to me and others. I disagree with this executive order. what will this ever teach children? To be scared of their teachers who are supposed to help them learn and grow?”
It’s clear that this new executive order is not for the safety of the students, but a way to push fear into students and severely damage their mental health. This executive order is just an excuse to make anyone under the age of 18 feel less human.
