Discipline by MK

While the teacher in the article may have been too severe in her punishment of the child, I still disagree with Mrs Sng, the mother, in her outlook of how punishment and discipline of the child is only a parent's right to implement. Another like-minded parent, Mdm Chee claimed in the article that "Teachers should focus on their role as educators." This suggests that education and discipline are separate entities of one another. However, this is a problematic assumption to make as it forgoes the concept of how, firstly, education can only take place in a safe learning environment with effective routines - discipline is thereby necessary to ensure this - and, secondly, that formal, academic education should not take place in a vacuum, where moral education (or education of the child) is neglected. Therefore, discipline is still necessary within the context of the school and should not be solely burdened by the parent or caregiver of the child at home.