Issue of corporal punishment in educational institutions back into focus: A comment and a limerick

 

The Kerala High Court has justified teachers carrying “cane in educational institutions” and added that a preliminary inquiry was necessary before registering any criminal case against a teacher in connection with his or her actions in an educational institution.(https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2025/Mar/15/let-teachers-carry-cane-in-educational-institutions-kerala-high-court#:~:text=The%20court%20observed%20that%20%E2%80%9Cfor,be%20protected%20from%20criminal%20prosecution%E2%80%9D.)

It has brought up a debate on a common and popular saying  "Spare the rod and spoil the child."

A comment: 

Calling it a bawdy metaphor, Joyce Fetteroll says, "Rather ironically, the saying, 'Spare the rod and spoil the child,' comes from a Samuel Butler poem, Hudibras. It is a satirical work commenting on beliefs of the (essentially) fundamentalist religious factions involved in the 17th century English Civil War."  She adds that no one learns better when hit rather they learn they learn to hit others when they aren’t listened to. Thus, hitting is detrimental to learning,

(https://www.quora.com/How-practically-true-is-the-saying-Spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child)

Spanking Children: A Limerick

The Law Industry of a country declares

Teachers could spank, children will care

Gone to wind are the child rights

Teacher must rule with rod-frights

The maxim “Spare the rod...” is just ‘n fair!