Corporal Punishment Still Used In “Deep South” Schools, Especially Mississippi.

The Washington Post (10/20, Harlan) reports 19 states still allow corporal punishment in schools, but 60% of “the students paddled nationwide come from just four neighboring states – Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.” The article highlights Mississippi, where 16% of public school students are African-American, and 35% of them receive corporal punishment while in school. Page 19 of the student/parent handbook for Greenwood Public School District in the state outlines the district policy on corporal punishment, which allows a principal or assistant principal to give up to “five swats with a paddle.” The National Education Association has said that corporal punishment is “more than ineffective – it is harmful.”