The New Discipline

Straps went out years ago, with the new concept of reasoning discipline. Although in my days the strap was still used in schools. I never got the strap as the fear of it and the shame of explaining to others why you received it was nerve racking in its self. The hidden rumors about the strap, all untrue, salt wounds, cuts and welts, the hair effect were all needed propaganda to help make it a successful deterrent.
Just recently I was horrified by the new form of discipline that is occurring in our Canadian schools.
You yourself may not even be aware of it. The isolation room.
It is indeed a cell, or closet, as some children describe it. Each school has a different style, some in areas where teachers and staff are present. Some contain locks on the outside of the door, where the child is locked in this small space, alone with no one around.
Time out is fine, but to be locked in a confined space, for extended periods of time seems almost inhumane.
We try to save our animals, protesting confined cages, small pens and kennel time.
Our jails have discovered that solitary confinement actually increased violent behavior.
Not to mention a safety issue of a fire, hidden health problems or phobias.
Our children are not harden criminals, nor animals. They are learning tolerance and understanding, socialistic, understanding, and compassion. Is this the method to help build good character traits.
A strap, simple punishment, the fear it's self is enough. The discipline of the strap is like that of touching a hot stove when told not too. A physical pain, minor and short lived that reminds them of the consequences of their actions. No physiological side effects, emotion scars, or planted phobias created.
Confinement and isolation is a crime, a sad look at how society loses common sense and logic. A part of the strap was to look into the eyes of another whom is disappointed with your behavior, a way to build conscience and shame. It was in the eyes of another, not staring at a blank wall that we understand how our behavior negatively affects more people than just ourselves. Like that of lying to you Mother or Father while looking them in the eye, our guilt and their hurt ingrains an awful feeling that builds responsible moral.
I am truly disgusted by this isolation solution. We are teaching kids to avoid finding solutions to problems. If it's troublesome lock it up in the closet, and maybe the problem will go away.
Really?