Spare the rod but chasten the child

In the Holy Book, Solomon uses parables and wise maxims to help mankind to understand and deal with the problems of life. In Proverbs Chapter 13 Verse 24 he advises that “He that spareth the rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
In Chapter 23 verse 13, he reminds us not to “withhold corrections from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die.”

I am sorry to quote from the St James version. I find the poetry inspiring and the modern rendering, sometimes, too pedestrian and not challenging enough for the mind, but that is an old stuffy man for you!  We should heed the advice of Solomon not only in regard to our children, but also to those who steer the affairs of the country.

We should not withhold correction from the high and mighty of the land. They will “not die” if we beat them with the rod of discipline and the law.  Rather, life in the community will improve if those who stray from the straight path are chastised, as demanded by good practice and the law.  Much is wrong in society today because many are not chastised when they go wrong. Bad practices are, thereby, continued with impunity.

There was a time when caning was the way of promoting and enforcing discipline in schools. This is no longer the practice generally, and studies experience suggest better ways of bringing up the young. Unfortunately, some who are learned in education and psychology have gone too far when considering the old or traditional ways of disciplining and bringing up children. They advocate methods which are not suitable for all situations and communities. Such is the prestige and force of arguments of these learned educationists that many who are in charge of local education have accepted their views and proceed to practice what these experts recommend without regard to proven local ideas and traditions.  

There is haste to adopt the new methods, especially if they are practised in countries which are believed to be advanced. In some of these “developed” countries, “modern” practices have led to increased waywardness, partly because discipline by parents is inhibited.

In some of these “developed” countries, children are encouraged to complain to the police or social services when their parents admonish them moderately harshly. Parents, guardians and teachers can face the full rigours of the law when they discipline recalcitrant children. They have to be careful not to infringe on the “rights” of the child.

Of course, some parents and guardians may not be fit to bring up children, and they cause damage to their children both physically and mentally. Such persons should be dealt with appropriately and the “rights” to their children should be circumscribed. But the unacceptable acts of the few should not determine the kind of discipline meted out to the young.

Some Ghanaians who live in Europe have sent their children home for schooling because they find the discipline and practices over there unacceptable and not in the best interests of the children. I sympathise with them. Afar from Ghana, I watch television and read stories about teenagers as young as 13 being given a “good time” by strangers only to be sexually assaulted and forced into prostitution for a couple of years or so before being rescued by the police.

I blame parental irresponsibility for such incidents. But the parents will plead that the children demanded freedom and “rights.” There is a tendency in Ghana to adopt practices in Europe and America as superior to ours and therefore worth copying. We should disabuse our minds of such notions.

Our good cultural practices should be maintained with pride. We believe that a woman brings forth a child but one person does not look after a child. Society is responsible for the bringing up of children. The elderly have a right, even a responsibility, to caution a wayward 14-year-old so that she does not fall prey to unscrupulous men. In this way we would not disappoint Ghanaians who send their children home for traditional upbringing.

Good Ghanaian upbringing should help to arrest the spread of indiscipline and corruption, which plague our society today. We should not spare the rod even when elders are in contempt of the law and go astray. If we love our country, we would chasten our leaders who go astray betimes, as Solomon advises.

Human beings will do a lot to avoid disgrace and Ghanaians are no exception.  In fact, many of the bad practices of the people at the top stem from the desire to make money so as not to “fall from grace to grass” when they leave office. Therefore, it should not be difficult to persuade them that it is precisely the “disgrace” they want to avoid which would be their lot if they indulge in dishonesty and corruption.

Society should accept the major blame if the youth are not nurtured in the ways of righteousness and grow up unruly and self-centred. While it corrects this lapse it should affirm the values which have sustained national cohesion and progress thus far.

Society should, furthermore, politely but firmly, enforce that discipline which was the hallmark of leadership in the past.  We should, when necessary, not spare the rod even from leaders we admire and love.


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