Should teachers discipline students? How can punishment be effective without harming students? At yesterday's Henan Province Seminar on Educational Discipline in Primary and Secondary Schools, experts unanimously agreed that education without discipline is incomplete.
As "praise-based education" gained prominence as a form of quality education, "disciplinary education" gradually faded from public view—even becoming a taboo subject.Faced with unruly children, many teachers lament that "teaching is getting harder," and the result of this passive response is that the interests of most students, including the disruptive ones, are harmed.
Discipline refers not only to punishing children for rule-breaking but also to helping them overcome certain bad habits. In a sense, education itself inherently involves discipline.One of education's fundamental functions is to promote students' social development. This entails not only imparting knowledge but also guiding students' behavior according to societal norms. To ensure the seriousness and effectiveness of laws, regulations, and social standards, punishment is prevalent in real-world society. If children fail to learn from their mistakes early on, how can they adapt to the inevitable consequences of punishment they will face later in life?For this reason, the renowned Soviet educator Makarenko asserted, "If punishment is absent in schools, it inevitably leaves some students without safeguards. When punishment is necessary, it is not only a right but also an obligation."
Those who question disciplinary education clearly confuse the concepts of discipline and corporal punishment. This misconception is widespread in real life, even among some teachers.This conceptual confusion directly fuels two extremes in school education: either viewing discipline as corporal punishment and abandoning children to their own devices, or equating corporal punishment with discipline and resorting to physical violence. Both approaches invariably harm children. The fundamental distinction lies in purpose: discipline aims to help children recognize their mistakes and cultivate responsibility for their actions, while corporal punishment serves merely as an outlet for the educator's personal emotions.These contrasting attitudes yield diametrically opposed approaches: discipline involves moderate, non-harmful consequences, while corporal punishment constitutes reckless, malicious physical assault. The intensity of confusion between the two only underscores the necessity for education authorities to clarify the boundaries between discipline and corporal punishment.
Whether it's "praise-based education" or "disciplinary education," education itself is fundamentally an "art of love." Therefore, the scientific validity of any educational method should first be judged by whether it prioritizes meeting children's needs and nurturing their growth—there is no need to be overly sensitive to terms like "discipline."In reality, only by integrating "disciplinary education" with "praise-based education" can school education be considered complete—without punishment, appreciation cannot be fully appreciated; without appreciation, punishment cannot be fully understood. The two complement each other, yet both can be excessive if taken to extremes.