THE ROLE OF DISCIPLINE IN EDUCATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PROCESS OF LEARNING
According to the Schools in Bengaluru discipline is the conscious activity (or lack thereof) taken to control one’s behaviour. It is the practice of adhering to laws and procedures, as well as cultural standards and values; the ability to manage oneself or others, especially in difficult situations. With help, advice, and direction in controlling behavior, discipline includes teaching acceptable behaviors and unlearning maladaptive behaviors. It’s about establishing boundaries, defining duties, responsibilities, and mutual expectations, and establishing a predictable, ordered, and stable lifestyle.
As the famous quote goes, “choices have consequences,” therefore failing to observe or practice discipline should result in some type of retaliation. There are numerous instances where such a ‘correction’ occurs as a result of a serious trigger, with disastrous effects. The global Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has grown into a pandemic in less than four months, bringing incalculable agony and death all across the world. Individual disobedience, such as failing to follow simple recommendations like washing hands thoroughly with soap, maintaining a one-to-two-meter social distance, and entering a 14-day self-quarantine, is worsening the pandemic’s exponential growth.
Disobedience to stated norms, bullying, truancy, tardiness to school, cultism, alcohol, and drug misuse, insulting/assaulting, sexual harassment, theft, rioting, striking, setting school fires, ‘gassing of pupils, and many other anti-social vices can all be found in the classroom. If left unchecked, such indiscipline will appear later in life. Instilling discipline at a young age, on the other hand, helps to bring order to various aspects of a person’s life — just look at our security or military forces.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE IN THE HOME AND THE CLASSROOM
According to professionals from Schools in Delhi, discipline affects the learning process by providing a stress-free environment for allocating time to various activities, improves planning by adhering to and maintaining a set daily routine, molds learner character, and increases motivation, allows for the setting of good examples, and positively contributes to better grades. When building models of academic achievement, factors such as exam anxiety, surroundings, motivation, and emotions must be taken into account. Several studies have found a correlation between student discipline and academic performance, with the latter improving as discipline levels rise.
Although educational institutions are responsible for enforcing the norms or code of conduct that govern learner behavior, parents also have a role in ensuring uniformity. Dress codes, hairstyles, and basic etiquette all begin at home. Parents and educators, particularly institution heads, are two pillars who have a tremendous impact on grooming. Quality education with full learner effect will remain a struggle unless discipline is addressed from an early age. As a result, disciplined learners at all levels are more likely to acquire the necessary knowledge and abilities quickly since they are focused and self-driven.
Parents should spend time with their children, despite their busy work schedules, to discuss numerous concerns, including punishment. There is also a growing demand in schools to improve advice and counseling to assist students in achieving certain values. A youngster or adolescent with strong social and spiritual discipline has a good chance of succeeding in school. Self-discipline is the most important discipline, which the learner should cultivate by setting standards and determining how far they can go in the face of multiple difficulties. Self-discipline will play a crucial part in preserving the continuity of learning during COVID-19 when learning has been relocated to the home since schools have closed and supervision is in the hands of parents.
PUNISHMENT AND THE GROWTH AND LEARNING PROCESS OF CHILDREN
As per research conducted by the Boarding Schools in Delhi, it is said that punishment is a method used to instill discipline. It can be either beneficial or harmful. Caning, physical labor such as watering school gardens or cutting grass, kneeling or walking on knees, or completing push-ups are examples of physical or corporal punishment. Several countries have prohibited physical punishment in schools as part of upholding the treaties on children’s rights, while the illegal practice persists in some schools.
Those who oppose physical punishment believe it hurts a child’s learning ability and mental health. It can also encourage children to develop aggressive behavior through modeling; for example, attempting to change a child’s behavior by inflicting pain on them is likely to encourage the child to do the same to their classmates whose conduct they desire to influence. This sort of punishment can be dangerously close to child abuse, and it might normalize violence in youngsters who absorb their experiences. Proponents of physical punishment, on the other hand, disagree; some parents and educators believe it is necessary for teaching discipline to youngsters. They argue that just eliminating a gratifying or reinforcing stimulus — such as a teacher removing a misbehaving child from class for some time or a parent ‘grounding’ a child from viewing television — is insufficient to reduce the likelihood of the child’s behavior recurring.
In the end, the effectiveness of punishment is highly dependent on the timing. The most effective punishment is one that is provided shortly after a response, whereas the longer the time between the answer and the punishment, the more likely the punishment will be associated with other intervening events. Positive and negative reinforcements are critical components of changing behavior after a punishment has been administered.