Easteria's Article: Beaten With a Cane as a Student in Ghana
Article #9 in the YCC Kids Club Ghana Student Life Stories Project
When I Was Caned at School
By Edor Easteria, Age 14
I felt the lashes of the cane at my back.
I was fourteen years old, in grade eight. I was in the classroom making noise with my friends during a time of discussion. We were debating about the issue of girls' and boys' education: which is more important?
It was interesting because the girls said their education is more important, while the boys argued back that their education is more important. The noise became louder and louder, and soon it disturbed everybody around.
Unfortunately for us, there was a teacher in the next class. Suddenly, he came into the classroom and gave us warning. But immediately after he left, we continued making the noise of our debate.
The teacher came in for the second time and yelled, “If you do not take care, I will cane you mercilessly, and will not favor anybody!” He held up his cane like most teachers in Ghana hold: a long, thin stick from a tree.
But once he left again, the noise became unbearable. The teacher marched back in and he barked: “Everybody put your heads on table!”
Then he started lashing us at the back. When you are lashed with a cane, it feels like a sting, and caning sometimes leaves mark on the skin.
When the teacher left, I did not talk to a single person until closing time.
When school closed, I rode to the house alone on my bicycle. Upon reaching the house, I sniffed the aroma jollof rice. My mother was cooking dinner. I ran to my mom and touched her on the shoulder. I told her what had happened.
My mother listened, then she said, “Never make noise at school again. You are supposed to learn, not to talk.”
In Ghana and Africa, pupils are caned to correct them. It is done at the back, palm and rear. Many teachers and parents here believe strongly that without the cane, young people will not keep to what is right. Around Ghana, however, some schools are slowly stopping the use of the cane, but many continue. In my one hundred and thirty-student school, still, at least fifty to eighty students are caned each and every day. In my class, however, they are no longer caning us.
I think that the practice of caning in schools is very good, but at the same time very bad. It is good because when students are caned it keeps them alert and on their toes.
That said, it is also bad because sometimes the students are caned mercilessly and it puts too much fear upon them. This makes them not talk at all during lesson time because they think that if they give the wrong answer they will be caned.
In conclusion, it is difficult to decide if caning students is good or bad. If I had my own school, I am not sure whether or not I would cane.
Would you?
Lillie's Note: There's a lot to comment on in this article! Please do leave some words for Easteria, and state your country of origin and current location! For my earlier article on caning in Ghana, click here.
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 4.2 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!
Caning was always beneficial for me. My aunt caned me for boyhood indiscretions including theft, truancy and rudeness, the severity of the beating relating to the nature of my misdeeds. It was very painful to have my bare buttocks welted by her ministrations and also extremely humiliating, especially when I suffered the indignity of involuntarily defecating during one caning (I was very constipated and could not prevent my bowels from opening). Auntie gave me a tremendous dressing down and the proceeded to rub my nose in the enormous steaming pile I had made. Years later, I still remember that incident and other thrashings every day and am grateful that she disciplined me and prevented me from descending into crime or larceny.
Thank you for sharing your perspective about your own life, Ajit.
Wow, being hit by a cane must have hurt a lot. I wish you are okay, but after I read this I will not talk that loud in class because I will never know what will happen if I do. I do think that being hit with a cane is really harsh, but it will change how loud people talk since they don't want to be beaten by a cane.
I don't know if caning is a good thing or a bad thing. In Vietnam, caning is quite common, and I haven't really thought about how bad it is. I don't really think that it is that bad since it does make students listen to directions and do their work. In Vietnam, forgetting homework or not doing it isn't as common as it is in the United States. Students have more discipline and when they make a mistake, they actually really care. But then again, it might affect them in the future as an adult because of what they had endured in their childhood. However, this is just an opinion and it can't be considered as right or wrong.
Hello Ms. Marshall, This was a very shocking article to read. Sometimes I am not very greatful that I am getting an education from Boston Public Schools, and grateful for the laws that protect the students of BPS from this type of harsh punishment. I can not beleive how strong some of these students in Ghana actually are, and I should be more grateful for my good education and availability to recources and materials that help me even more.
My grandfather from Crete, Greece, used to say that beating is for donkeys, not for humans.
If older people beat kids in order to get them to the right path, then who is going to beat the older people, since they are not on the right path either? Don't older people make mistakes? Sure they do.Actually they do the worst. Wars, unjustice, murders. Who is going to punish them?
Getting beaten with a cane is harsh, but that is the way they punished misbehaved children.
I agree the one of the comments above that said if the same 80 students are being caned each day it must not work. But it seemed to work on you. In the state of Massachusetts in the USA in is illegal to use corporal punishment in schools and even if it was legal I wouldn't do it because I think there are other ways to deal with rowdy students.
I agree with you, many country today still uses the cane method. When I was younger I've been belted, hit with a tree-branch, and sticks hitting my hand. But I knew it was for a good reason; to correct my mistake and discipline me.
If the same 80 people are caned every day that is bountiful evidence that is does NOT work! Isn't it?
I was a teacher who has put in more than 27 years of service i firmly believe that the small children aged 10 -12 do need a firm handand ofcourse using your hand instead of a cane will do .12-16 need your understanding and guidance alot .children are children and will do naughty and stupid things thats their age we teachers have to be wise enuoghto handle things in a smooth way
Depends hugely on your perspective. The most common reason worldwide is getting homework wrong. Not every child is an Einstein and beating a kid isn't going to make him any brighter.
Luddy Sr. said...
Really fascinating story and question Easteria. And your question has no easy answer either.
I'm inclined to say that there should never be any type of physical abuse in schools for any reason, but I can't fully support that stance either.
The most interesting thing in your story is the part about how often children are caned in school each and every day. I would think that there would be very little need to cane once everyone learned what was coming if they misbehaved.
Even the teacher in your story only resorted to caning after his third visit into the rowdy classroom.
But having said all that I still can't say that I support caning. I look forward to what some other teachers and students from around the world have to say on the subject.
Thanks for posing such an interesting topic for us to discuss Easteria.
-Kwabla (Connecticut, USA)
February 23, 2010 6:20 AM
Adam Axon said...
What an interesting insight into Ghanian school life.
My personal opinion is that caning is inappropriate. Yes it brings focus to the children during their studies, but for all the wrong reasons. It creates behavioural patterns that will be very hard to break as the children mature into adults!
Personally I think an alternate solution is to re-evaluate the teaching techniques. They should try looking for methods which keep the kids engaged and enthused without the threat of a cane.
Once again thanks for the insight.
Adam (Melbourne, Australia)
February 23, 2010 6:35 AM
Vicente said...
Well, I got caned myself a few times up until second grade when hitting students in my country (Cuba) was banned altogether. I disagree with it completely. No student should ever be hit, even if deserving :-)
February 23, 2010 2:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Hi, it is Everlasting Easteria!
How is life? Thanks for your comments about my article. I think your opinions are very good. I wish you all the best. Greetings to your families and loved ones.
- Everlasting Easteria
February 24, 2010 5:19 PM
sam said...
It always amazes me that the children who get this feel that it is correct, even though they don't like it.
I caught the end of caning in school in england and I would always have said it was a bad thing! Even if it does make the children behave, it's not exactly a good education for their adult life is it?
Then again, perhaps it is not done so hard in Africa as it was in England before, you really need to try it out for yourself Lillie, and let us know what you think!
sam
February 24, 2010 5:21 PM
Anonymous said...
It always amazes me that the children who get this feel that it is correct, even though they don't like it.
I caught the end of caning in school in england and I would always have said it was a bad thing! Even if it does make the children behave, it's not exactly a good education for their adult life is it?
Then again, perhaps it is not done so hard in Africa as it was in England before, you really need to try it out for yourself Lillie, and let us know what you think!
sam
February 24, 2010 5:22 PM
Suzi said...
Hello Easteria,
You sound like a very thoughtful young lady and you have written an interesting and disturbing story - disturbing in the way that it makes us all think about what is right and what is wrong in the world. That is a very big and a very difficult topic. I congratulate you on your willingness to tackle these serious issues!
I wish you the best in your pursuit of right.
Suzi, from the United States (California)
February 27, 2010 1:31 AM