Spare the rod and spoil the child. This familiar proverb has long been used to justify physical punishment. Yet, as our education system confronts increasingly complex behavioural challenges, it is time to question this inherited wisdom. Calls by MPs to reintroduce corporal punishment are worrying. As a teacher, I understand the frustrations of managing indiscipline. But bringing back the cane would be a dangerous retreat.
Discipline in our schools is becoming increasingly complicated. We encounter absenteeism, bullying, drug abuse and defiance. Some teachers are even targets of verbal and physical aggression. These are real challenges; teachers should not be expected to endure hostility in the name of understanding children.
The incident at Nyabisase Mixed Secondary School in Bobasi, Kisii County, is particularly disturbing. On November 5, 2026, candidates reportedly attacked examination officials and police officers during a KCSE monitoring exercise and seized a police officer’s firearm. The weapon was recovered nearly three hours later, and several officials and officers were injured. This raises serious questions about student behaviour, authority and the systems for managing indiscipline. Even so, such an incident cannot justify resurrecting corporal punishment.
The argument that the cane produced disciplined generations is a familiar defence. Many adults say they turned out well because somebody occasionally straightened them out with a cane.