Exercise 13, Bring Back the Strap, p. 44, 45
Key Idea; corporal punishment should be banned because it leads to aggressive and violent outcomes.
Construction of Argument: key real life-examples and quotes from educational experts
Key quotes: “six of the best”; “dragged out in front of the school assembly”; hand was broken” ‘ “discipline” (sarcastic quotes)
Adopting a candid tone, Mr Scott criticises corporal punishment because he believes it perpetuates and role models violence. Underpinning his criticism are real-life examples that show the harmful consequences of smacking. He invites his readers to sympathise with his own personal plight, which reveals his humiliating punishment “by a sadistic trainee priest” who “dragged” him out in front of the class and gave him “six of the best”. This euphemistic and sarcastic reference to the harsh punishment is also designed to elicit outrage, given the fact that he was only six years old. Furthermore, to increase his credibility, Mr Scott compares and verifies his own experience with that of another student who was “whipped for not complying with uniform policy”. The fact that the student’s “hand was broken” encourages the school cohort to recognise the fact that teachers often overstep the boundaries of corrective discipline. Both these emotively-charged examples seek to impress upon teachers and educational policy makers the necessity of such a ban. The examples also corroborate the union leader’s advice (quotes) and anticipate that all concerned parents will challenge/oppose any move to reinstate corporal punishment. Accordingly, he hopes that all teachers will refrain from violent and aggressive punishment.
- See Exercise 13: Bring Back the Strap
- See Comparative paragraphs: Based on Exercise 13: Bring Back the strap