Pupils Support
School`s Corporal Punishment Policy
Left to right - Rebecca Mihalik, Sarah
Mihalik and Katie Ekis have all been spanked with the paddle at
Faith Christian School and said they benefited from the
experience.
Text taken from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
13th May 2000
At Faith Christian School in Wilkins, students know that
"serious or repetitive misbehavior," anything from
cheating to name-calling, can result in several whacks on the
rump. "We reserve the right to paddle any student in the
school from kindergarten to 12th grade. We have full faith in God's
Word, which teaches that 'foolishness is bound in the heart of a
child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.' (Proverbs
22:15)," says the school's printed policy.
Yesterday, students at the small Christian school were
upset that their principal and a teacher face criminal charges
for hitting an 11-year-old student with a fiberglass rod.
"I just think it is wrong for them to be pressing
charges," said Sarah Mihalik, 16, an 11th-grader. Mihalik,
her 15-year-old sister, Rebecca, and Katie Ekis, 18, of Wilkins,
all have been paddled at Faith Christian School and said they had
benefited from the experience.
Sarah said the punishment was handled in a thoughtful,
reasoned fashion.
"They would pray with you" and then "paddle
you," said Mihalik. "It helped me a lot."
Before any child is admitted to Faith Christian School,
parents must sign a release that allows school officials to use
corporal punishment.
The school clearly states in its policy manuals that
"we also cannot retain a child who refuses to be paddled."
The Rev. Gary LaPietra, pastor of Faith Bible Baptist
Church, which helps fund the school, said "we feel kids in
our society don't have enough discipline."