Children do not learn just academics from school. The students are also taught discipline and guided to develop values that can help them become well-adjusted adults.
Despite set standards, schools have different approaches in dealing with the children's behavior and disciplinary issues. A research site has looked into U.S. schools to determine the gravity of disciplinary problems among students and how these are handled, according to Start Class.
Researchers used the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) from 2013 to 2014 for their study and learned that 19 states still employ corporal punishment in schools. This involves physically punishing erring students to correct their behavior or implement discipline.
Corporal punishment remains a controversial topic of debate among parents, community, local government and school leaders. Outgoing Education secretary, John King Jr., has even called for its abolishment, according to Express-News. But with King stepping down come January, it's unclear if there will be new policies in place in dealing with this.
Meanwhile, the research has identified the following states with the highest number of disciplinary problems in schools: New Mexico (10), Oklahoma (9), Mississippi (8), Connecticut (7), Montana (6), Indiana (5), Kansas (4), South Carolina (3), Missouri (2) and Illinois (1). This is based on the percentage of students that have been either been arrested, referred to law enforcement, expelled or suspended. It should be noted, however, that the Start Class research has some limitations as not all schools have fully disclosed their disciplinary report with the CRDC.
New Law Will Regulate Illinois School Discipline Policies https://t.co/CGBz9bZPce
— 23 WIFR (@23WIFR) November 20, 2015
In 2015, the Illinois government established a school disciplinary reform called Senate Bill 100 that would take effect in the 2016-2017 school year. Its aim is to bring down the incidence of arrest, expulsion or suspension among students. It also aims to reduce harsh punishment, which has been proven to only increase the incidence of violence among the youth.
The move was welcomed by different civic groups supporting students' welfare. "Illinois now provides more tools for schools to create environments where all students are valued and supported in their learning," Dalia Mena of the Voices of Youth in Chicago Education said, according to Huffington Post.
Whether this will be a success for a state with the most disciplinary problems remains to be seen. The reform is supposed to cover all public schools and charter schools in Illinois.
